Repairs, Retrofits and Upgrades
by Progman
Summary: A series of problems, and a series of solutions. Korra applies traditional methods, while Asami turns to more modern innovations. Sometimes, you can take things on faith. Other times, you have to be pragmatic. One isn't better than the other, but it doesn't always seem that way. [Formerly known as "Noodles". Title and Summary changed to reflect evolution of story.]
1. Flameo Instant

**This story is part of a larger, overarching series called "Spin the Rails". Specifically, this is fourth story in the read-order. This specific chapter, however, is meant to serve as a companion piece/pseudo-sequel to the second work in the series: "The Cactus". Please see my profile for more details.**

**I started writing this around an hour after the finale last night (EDIT: You know, December 19th). Once I was done crying. I never truly thought it would be canon-compliant. But it is. It happened. The S.S. Korrasami sailed through the Sea of Doubt and docked into Port Canon.**

**And I just can't stop smiling.**

**EDIT: Custom Cover Art by the wonderfully generous RosetheRabbit! :D **

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><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 2 - Noodles**

**Section 1:**

**"Flameo Instant"**

Asami stared at her cup of noodles.

Her bright green eyes looked through the rising steam as she studied it. Examined it. Investigated it. Took in every detail with intense critical analysis. Cylinder, removable cap, disposable, heat conductive materials, branding the result of heavy marketing campaigns. One serving. Just add hot water.

Hot water.

How could something so small mean so much?

"If you're trying to think of a way to make Flameo Instant Noodles even better, you should compare notes with Mako when we get back," said Korra, pouring hot water out of their teapot into her own cup. She stirred her noodles. "He once told me that, when they were younger, he and Bolin basically lived off of this stuff. Aaand, then he cooked it in..." She poked the tip of her chopsticks to her lips, along with a long string of noodles. "I want to say fourteen different ways? I can't remember exactly, but I _do _remember that no single cup tasted the same. It was pretty impressive, actually."

Asami snorted and stirred her noodles. "Wow. I never would have pegged Mako for someone with such...culinary creativity."

"Honestly, I'm betting half of those were Bolin's recipes. The best cooks are the ones who love to eat the most."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Asami looked up from her cup and was immediately filled with the sight of Korra sucking a comically long stream of noodles into her mouth. She caught her eyes mid slurp, and Korra somehow responded with that exceedingly adorable crooked grin of hers despite the fact that her mouth was otherwise occupied with noodles. The last of them flew past her lips with a small pop, and Asami broke.

She laughed. How could she _not_?

"Even when you're eating like a toddler, you're adorable. I don't understand how that's possible."

Korra shrugged. "It's the only way I know how to eat." She made a face that Asami could only describe as 'Tenzin-esque' and poked at the air with her chopsticks. "In fact, a very wise woman once said that if there is food, there is a way to get it in your mouth."

"Really? Who?"

"Me." She smirked and rolled another ring of noodles onto her chopsticks. "I said that," she said, shoving noodles in her mouth. "You should take my advice and eat. There's no telling what we're going to find today," Korra said with a mouthful of food.

"Okay, you're right." Asami smiled. It was hard to say no. "I was just thinking about...what these noodles mean. In a larger sense."

Korra frowned and stared at her own cup. "I don't think they come in larger sizes. If they did, I'd have bought them."

Asami chuckled and waved her off. "No, not literally bigger. I meant in terms of society. You know, how far humans have come in such a short time."

Korra raised a brow. "I don't follow."

"This little cup I'm holding is the product of less than a hundred years of hard work and innovation." She looked at her noodles with a small sense of awe and wonder. "It's a meal. In a cup. Instant food. This single idea has probably saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Families can be fed. Stomachs can be full whenever they need to be. It's just..." She chuckled awkwardly and looked to Korra. "It's amazing."

"Huh." Korra slowly chewed her noodles as she gave her a rather blank stare. She blinked twice. "Uh, I've never really thought about it like that before. I've never really thought about noodles that much before. I mean, they're just...it's instant noodles. They're everywhere."

"Exactly! They're everywhere, and completely transcend cultural, class, and ethnic barriers. _Everyone_ eats Flameo Instant Noodles." She quickly ate some of her noodles to emphasize her point. "I do, you do, everyone we know does. It's food for travel. Food for lunch. Food for thought. Food for dinner, breakfast, sharing. For anything!"

"Asami, they're just noodles."

"Well, yes, in a purely physical sense, but when placed on-"

"They're _just noodles._ Take a deep breath, alright? My first trip here was pretty scary too, so if you're rattled I completely understand. But, as we both know, avoiding it isn't going to help." She gestured around her. "Especially since we're sort of...surrounded by it."

Asami bit her lip. "I'm not anxious, Korra. I'm trying to share something with you that I think you'd find very interesting." She wasn't being totally honest. She was a little scared to be in the Spirit World, since nothing appeared to obey any form of internal consistent logic.

"Oh. I'm sorry, but it's-they're noodles. All of that other stuff..." She made a 'woosh' noise and swiped her palm above her head. "Goes right over my head. The same thing happens when you talk about the work you do most of the time. I always pay attention, but I rarely understand any of it." Korra frowned and anxiously prodded at her noodles "That...didn't come out right. Sorry."

Asami looked at Korra for a moment. She wasn't going to get through to her, she could tell. It wasn't a matter of intelligence, but rather one of perspective. As much as she loathed to admit it at times, her outlook on things was radically different than Korra's own personal view. Asami had always prided herself as someone who looked beyond the present, while Korra was very much attuned to the 'here and now' as much as 'what once was'. As the Avatar, the second part was a given, but the first could have gone either way.

Heh. Either way.

"It's okay. Maybe you're right. Maybe they're just noodles," she said, shrugging.

"Noodles you should be eating."

Asami gave her a small smile and got back to eating. "For someone who doesn't think that these noodles are important, you're really insistent that I eat them. "

"For survival!" Korra jumped to her feet and pouted. "We're in the-" She coughed, slammed her fist against her chest, and swallowed. After a moment of breathing, she continued. "We're in the Spirit World! You think noodles are amazing, well what about all of _this?_" She waved her chopsticks around frantically, gesturing towards the oddly colored sky, impossible foliage, and the flocks of spirits above as well as around them. "This isn't like that time we got stuck in the desert, okay? We can't just make an airship, or a sand-sailer, or drink cactus juice and start hallucinating our way out in case we get lost. We have to be ready for anything."

"Okay, I get the idea, and yes, of course the Spirit World is amazing-," Asami wrinkled her nose and pushed aside her philosophical meanderings for a later date. "Wait, cactus juice? Korra, that stuff is _littered_ with psychotropics! Why-when did you even..." She chuckled and covered her forehead with her hand. "There's a story here, isn't there?"

Korra crooked her lips to the side. "...no."

"Liar."

"Okay, fine!" She flipped her hands in the air. "I ran out of water in the desert, boiled some cactus juice, drank it, you appeared out of thin air and guided me to safety. Not really one of my proudest moments." She smiled sadly and sat down beside her. "There's more to it than that, but I hit all the important parts."

Asami raised her brows and very quickly processed the information. A helpful hallucination. It certainly wasn't out of the question. "Well, I'm glad I could help." She took Korra's hand and intertwined their fingers. "Even if I technically didn't."

Korra smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. "You know, the weirdest part, is that you looked like you do now."

"Wow. That's...are you sure you just didn't read a newspaper and saw my picture in it? I was in it a lot. I essentially _rebuilt_ Republic City from the ground up." She blinked, stared off into the vast, unknowable and irrational distance, and pinched her brow. "...which I will have to do _all over again."_

Korra rested her head on her shoulder. "You did it once. You can do it again."

Asami bowed her head and closed her eyes. She could. She _would. _Life had taken everything from her time and time again, but she always picked herself up and came back stronger than ever. It was a fight she'd learned to win alone by sheer force of will. Life had taken her city and her father. Again. So she would take back what she could and more, just like she always did.

More. That was the most important part.

Asami opened her eyes and brushed her thumb along Korra's hand. "Hey."

"Hm?"

"What is this?"

"What's what?"

"Us. This."

"I don't know." Korra turned to her with a kind smile. "But won't it be interesting to find out?"

Asami looked around her. Fields of stunning colors, flowers she'd never dreamed of, landscapes that bent and folded into one another that stretched on for eons, entire forests of full of pure _life._ Everything and anything surrounded them, and all of it was beautiful. It was certainly more than she'd lost.

Maybe just going with the flow, just this once, wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Asami resettled on Korra and smiled back. "Yeah. It will." She cupped her cheek, leaned in, and closed her eyes. She wasn't surprised when Korra met her halfway. That was sort of her thing. Asami sighed and rested their foreheads together. "Why are you being so protective of me here? Is it really that dangerous?"

"It can be. Most things don't work the same way here like they do in the material world, so if you don't stick close to me, and I lose track of you..." Korra shivers. "Asami, you're not a spiritual person. If you get lost in here, I'm not confident I could find you. It's one thing to track someone's spiritual energy in the material world, since they're distinct. It sort of stands out, I guess." Korra tilts her head. "In the Spirit World, everything is made of spiritual energy, so trying to find someone cut off from all that is infinitely more difficult."

Asami raised a brow. She had a point. She knew all of that spiritual stuff was real, but she'd never put much stock in it ever effecting or being moderately relevant to her. Obviously, that was no longer the case. "We've been out here for days. Why are you just telling me this now?"

Korra chuckled awkwardly and rubbed her neck. "I, uh, only just realized it."

"Korra..."

"I liked not worrying about things for once! But then you started talking about us, and it got me thinking _really fast _about all of this." Korra took her other hand and squeezed it. "I know you can take care of yourself back home, but this isn't home. It's not the same here. I need you to stick close to me and be careful, okay? That'll really put my mind at ease, and trust me..." She gave her a crooked grin. "...you really don't want to see what the Spirit World looks like with a terrified Avatar. All of this light around us turns dark. I'm being literal. This place actually reflects emotion, and that goes double for me."

Asami nodded without hesitation. Spirituality was one of the few things she knew almost nothing concrete about, and if the _Avatar _was telling her that she needed to watch her step, she was going to listen. "Okay. I won't leave your sight."

"...really? Wow, I thought that'd be more difficult to explain," she laughed. "Alright, great!" Korra gently parted with her and went about repacking their things. She cleansed the boiling water and refilled the skin on her bag. "I actually had an idea about where we could go today, but I kind of want it to be a surprise."

Asami smiled and carefully picked up the tiny pieces of litter at their camp site. After three years of minimizing pollution and trash in Republic City in order to respect the Spirit Wilds, despite not knowing anything besides that she should 'honor nature', it was almost instinctive. Korra hadn't even insisted that they leave as little trace as possible of their presence, but somehow Asami knew that's what she'd want. That it was what's right. "Sounds good to me. How long do you think it'll take us to get there?"

Korra stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Well, that's the thing about the Spirit World." She held out her hand to Asami and smiled. "With a good enough guide, you can just sort of..._get there."_

Asami took her hand and pulled herself up, securing her own pack in the process. "Assuming you know what you're looking for, right?"

"Pretty much. Ready?"

"Ready."

"Okay, hold on tight."

Asami did as she was told, but was wholly unprepared for what happened next.

Time and space seemed to bend and slither around Asami as her vision blurred. She lost all sense of place and grounding for as Korra moved them through the interwoven tapestry of the realm toward their destination. As her vision returned, Asami saw it all.

Two open spirit portals, their light brilliant and eternal, bursting into the sky. Between them, a massive tree ravaged by time. Gnarled and even more ancient than the landscape surrounding it. It looked older than all things, which for some reason didn't surprise her.

"That was amazing, Korra," she stammered, quickly finding her balance again. The trip was rather disorienting. "Where are we?"

"Where the Spirit World and the material world are linked together." Korra lead Asami toward the huge tree and rubbed her hand over the smooth bark. "I'm not sure this place has a proper name, but it's the center of...everything."

Asami slowly looked between the portals and then up at the tree. The area seemed to project a feeling of majesty and purity that she couldn't quite define. It was as if every patch of soil and puddle were connected. Centered. Spirits began congregating around them, or at least appeared to be. For the moment, they seemed to be content in their silence. "It's..." She squeezed Korra's hand. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to. It means you're feeling something different here, just like you should. Something more than you are." Korra smiled. "Come on, this is what I wanted to show you." She hoisted herself up toward the heart of the tree and stopped just at the entrance. "Go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Asami paled. "What? Why? I thought I was supposed to stay close to you."

"This is different. This is something you need to experience on your own the first time."

Asami felt a sense of dread and fear creep up her spine. "Are you sure? I feel like..." She looked around at the spirits rather frantically. Something was wrong. The tree was _too important _for her to enter. Her gut instinct was to run for the Southern Portal, whichever one that was, because all of it was just _too much. _ "I feel like I don't belong here. They don't think I belong here, and I can _feel it_." A few of the spirits began to shimmer and mutate, their bright light of color becoming marred into a more focused purple. They looked aggressive and predatory. They growled. Loudly. Dark Spirits. Asami froze and held Korra tighter. "How is this happening? _How." _

They started moving. Toward her.

Korra stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the approaching spirits. "Asami, they know you're scared. They're reacting to your negative energy, and...okay, apparently Raava says touching me is amplifying it, so they're reacting the same way they would if I were feeling this way." Korra wrapped her strong arms around her and buried her head in her shoulder. "_I'm not going to let go. _We can beat this. Just focus on me. Think positive. Hold me as hard as you can, and they'll back off."

Asami latched onto Korra for dear life. She could handle giant mechasuits. She could handle terrorists. She could handle week long socio-political debates with the most infuriating dignitaries imaginable. She could handle quite literal home invasions. She could handle pretty much anything except for Dark Spirits. She couldn't hurt them. She couldn't beat them. She couldn't out think them. They made her feel helpless. Still, she focused on her breath, falling back on her old martial arts teachings. Breath. Wait. Listen. Then, her mind. Clearing it had always been a challenge for her, but...then she found herself thinking about their last few days together, and everything else just seemed to evaporate.

No vacation was perfect, as nothing was, but so far everything had just been wonderful and cathartic. She needed a break. They _both _needed a break. Time to catch their breath so they could come back stronger than ever. The best part, for her, was that it wasn't such a big deal. They walked. They talked. They just _were, _and it felt right. She hadn't felt that relaxed and content in...she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt like that.

"Asami," whispered Korra, stroking her hair. "Look."

Asami slowly disentangled herself and warily turned around. Everything was bright. The spirits seemed to dance and sing around the tree, and she swore she could hear some of them laughing. She stared at them in awe. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It seemed impossible, but there it was. "I did that?" she asked cautiously.

"Yeah. That was you. Are you okay?"

Asami nodded silently as she gazed upon the spirits. They were mesmerizing. The way they moved with impossible grace and elegance. Entire spectrums of color she never knew existed. "You're right. I was scared. I still meant what I said about the noodles, but-"

"We can talk about the noodles later, okay? I promise." Korra firmly prodded her toward the heart of the tree. "For now, less feeling sorry for yourself, more getting in the tree," she said, chuckling. "You don't think I'd be just as terrified if you stuck me in a factory and told me to build a super satomobile?"

Asami smiled at the mental image. Oh, she'd try her hardest to get it right with metalbending, but every attempt she'd make would only end in disaster. And explosions. Lots and lots of oil, gasoline and engine explosions. "You'd blow yourself up inside an hour."

"I'm very confident that you're correct. Now go, your surprise is inside."

Asami stopped just at the edge of the hollow trunk and looked down inside of it. "Why are you so insistent that I do this first?"

Korra leaned against the opening of the tree and looked out toward one of the portals. "Because I've already been here twice before."

Asami sighed and decided that she'd come much too far to wuss out. She carefully stepped into the heart of the massive tree, sliding her gloved palm along the surprisingly comforting material of the interior wall. It seemed somehow familiar. She took off her right glove and pressed her palm against the tree again. It was soft, like skin.

Skin she _knew. _

It was her mother's.

A flash of lights flickered through the tree, and dozens of what looked like full color mover screens shimmered into existence around her. Her memories. Forgotten ones, prominent ones. Birthdays, bath times, playing with her mother's seldom used make up drawer, that time she set accidentally set the house on fire, her first tour of her father's factory, the first satomobile she made with him, the first one she made without him, the countless hours of self-defense classes, old pro-bending matches.

Asami was dumbstruck, but she managed to realize one crucial thing. None of those memories were from her own eyes. They were from her father's point of view. From her _mother's _point of view. Her first steps, her first words (of course it was 'daddy'), her first tooth, the last thing her mother saw.

Herself. Six years old. Terrified. Everything froze there, but she wasn't scared this time.

"If it makes you feel any better," Asami felt a hand on her shoulder. "I set my house on fire, too. That's how my parents found out I was the Avatar." She chuckled lightly. "First the rug, then the furs on the walls...pretty sure I burned off my dad's beard that day, too. He likes to leave out that part of the story."

Asami stared up at herself. "How am I seeing this?"

"Oh, right. This is the Tree of Time." Korra slid her hand down to Asami's and gave her a small squeeze. "Tenzin once told me that it remembers everything. Every memory. Every event. Everything that has ever happened to everyone."

"But why _this? _Why through my mom's eyes? My dad's?"

"I actually don't know for sure, because I didn't expect this, but if I had to take a guess..." She looked around the inside of the tree, as if searching for something. "Before Kuvira destroyed the swamp, there was a tree very much like this one. The Banyan Grove tree. The entire swamp was made up of the vines that came out of it. The spiritual energy it created was...sympathetic." Korra turned to her and smiled. "Sometimes we just see what we want to see, and other times we see what we need to. I think this is something you needed."

Asami's gaze didn't waver and her memories didn't continue flowing. Why did she need to see _this? _Her mother died years ago, and her father-

Oh.

Asami blinked. "I ran away. My father died less than a week ago, and the first chance I got I _ran_. With you. I lost him once before, and I just couldn't do that all over again." She felt like she should be crying, or something along those lines, but nothing came. "You must have known that."

Korra nodded. "I did."

She turned to her with a hard look. "Then why did you let me? Running from your problems doesn't solve anything."

"I know. I let you because you needed this, and because I wanted it. But also, and pay attention because this is the most important part..." She gestured around the heart of the tree. "...I wasn't going to let you get very far. I can always go home to my family. My parents. I wanted to give you that, or something like it, because I thought that maybe seeing it all over again might..."

Asami wrinkled her nose and looked back up at the image of younger self. Before that moment, she'd been so happy. And after it, things were hard, but she still found happiness with her father. After he tried to kill her, it became more difficult, but Asami had always been an optimist. Things would always work out in the end, so she'd never given up hope. Her breath got caught in her throat. "You wanted to help me remember all of the happiness in my life. You...you _knew _I'd just push it aside and use the pain of my suffering to drive me forward. To make me stronger. Like I always do."

Korra raised her brows. "Uhhh, yeah, absolutely. That was my plan from the beginning."

Asami looked back at Korra. "Wait..." She snickered at her slightly awkward expression and broke into a full hearty laugh. "You had _no idea _what would happen, did you?"

"Not a clue."

"You just took me to the tree, shoved me inside, and hoped for the best!"

"That is more or less what happened, but honestly I just thought it might be nice for you to see your parents again." Korra smiled. "Well, and I thought maybe I'd watch this with you. You always talked about your father in such a positive light before things changed, and I...feel like I need to see that. Through your eyes." She sighed. "People can change. Bad to good. Good to bad. Everything in between. The Hiroshi Sato who raised you is not the one I met, but I'd really like to, if that's okay."

Asami wiped budding tears from her eyes and released something that was equal parts sob and chuckle. "Yes. We can do that." She looked back up at her younger self and took a very deep breath. Her memories unfroze and flowed freely. "I think I'll start with my mom first, though."

"I'd like that."

They sat down against the back of the tree and settled in comfortably. Korra set their packs to one side and Asami placed a pillow behind their heads. She had a feeling they'd be there for a while. Asami wrapped her arms around Korra's waist and pulled her closer. She smiled. "Thank you."

"Think of it as me paying you back for the whole 'cactus juice' thing."

"You still need to tell me that story. All of it."

"Tell you what. We get through your memories, then we'll go through mine. Deal?"

"Deal."

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><p><strong>If you're wondering why I'm not using THAT picture for this story, the bright yellow one with the eyes and handholding, it's because everyone else is. Also because it's a little too bright for a still image, in my opinion.<strong>

**Asami's rant on the noodles is slightly based off the thoughts that run through my head every few months in regards to smart phones. There is a **_**rectangle in my pocket that does basically everything. **_**How is that not **_**amazing?!**_

**Yes, Korra is quoting both Katara and her own hallucination version of Asami in this piece. She thinks she's being clever, but Asami won't get that until they get through her memories. I thought it was cute, though I'm unsure of how that came off. Same goes for portraying Korra and Asami's very different styles of thinking without making Korra look like an idiot. I don't _think _I made her look stupid, but I'm a little worried it could come off like that. **

**The tree of time showing memories from a different perspective is how I think Korra's in-universe way of explaining how she sees parts of her own show in the Tree of Time would go. It's probably not totally accurate, but she gets the heart of it right.**

**As always, feedback is very much appreciated. No matter how small or scathing your thoughts may be, I'd love to hear 'em. :)**


	2. Just Add Hot Water

**Bryke/Viacom owns all**

**EDIT: Fixed some consistency issues and OOC moments.**

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><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 2 - Noodles**

**Section 2:**

**"Just Add Hot Water"**

Korra couldn't sleep.

Asami, however, was very much asleep, if the soft, slow breathing at the nape her neck was any indication. Her arms were wrapped around Korra's waist, and she was pretty sure they couldn't be physically closer to each other if they'd tried. They had packed two bedrolls, but for the past week they'd only ever used the one. And it felt _right._

At first, she compared the warmth she felt in Asami's arms with the feeling she got when cuddling with Naga. She very quickly realized just how wrong of a thought that was. It was _nothing _like that. Sure, both were 'warm', but Naga wasn't...it just wasn't the same. It wasn't the same, and Korra cherished that. It was better. Not quite safety, not quite comfort, and not quite affection either.

Vulnerability.

Asami made her feel vulnerable, but somehow it didn't terrify her. It made her feel stronger and more confident. Korra was baffled by that, but if something worked, sometimes it just wasn't worth questioning. What mattered was that it worked.

Korra tried focusing on Asami's heartbeat to clear her head. That had worked with Naga. She scowled at herself. She _really _needed to stop making that comparison.

While the Tree of Time may not have been the most comfortable place to camp for the night, she could only blame herself for her predicament. Watching, or rather reliving, some of the happiest moments of Asami's life with her, had emotionally drained her more than she'd thought possible. Through the eternal memory of the tree, Korra had been able to give Asami part of her life back, and she even got to share the experience with her.

Needless to say, the visceral revelation that Hiroshi Sato was _so unlike _the man she'd met all those years ago hit her hard. Korra had thought that seeing Asami's mother would be bittersweet, and it was, but it was nothing compared to the monstrous change in her father.

Thus, Korra couldn't sleep.

Korra had actually managed to grow fond of the man. He was a kind, compassionate, brilliant, supportive, and genuinely warm person. Above all, though, he had truly loved his daughter more than anything. Korra watched the key moments, all the while knowing in the back of her head that his pain would become hatred and that he would try to murder his own daughter. Korra hadn't been there to see it the first time, but she'd stuck it out to make sure she was for the second viewing. She needed to understand. She wanted to sympathize with Asami, desperately. She just...she just _needed _to. The 'why' didn't matter at the moment.

"Asami," she whispered.

No response.

Korra knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she'd aired out her feelings. She'd learned that much. Normally, she'd have a one-way conversation with Naga- Korra huffed and tensed everywhere. If she kept making that comparison she'd just have to beat it out of...herself? That didn't make any sense.

Sense. Logic. Tenzin.

Meditation! Yes! That could work. Maybe. Korra slowly slinked out from Asami's arms, being extremely careful not to wake her. Of course, that was impossible because Asami was being very resistant about letting her go.

"Mmm." Asami grumbled. "Have to pee?" she mumbled, still clearly half asleep.

Korra frowned and silently nodded her head. She hated lying, and she was really bad at it. Even half asleep she knew Asami would recognize her insincerity if she actually _said _yes. But, since they were so close-she couldn't do it. Not to Asami. "No. I just can't sleep. I've got way too much on my mind. Will you be okay if I step outside for a few minutes? I want to try meditating."

She felt Asami's heart rate spike for a brief moment before calming down. "Why can't you talk to me about what's going through your head?"

"...because it's your life that I can't stop thinking about."

Asami sighed and her arms went slack. "Okay. Just don't go too far. I don't want any dark spirits to eat me," she chuckled darkly. Korra could tell she wasn't really kidding. Very few things scared Asami, and Korra had witnessed firsthand exactly how terrified she could get when faced with dark spirits.

Korra pulled herself out of the bedroll and got to her feet. "It's rare for spirits to eat people, but I'll make sure they stay away." She slipped on her boots and fastened them. She looked back over her shoulder and saw that Asami had already fallen back to sleep. Where Korra had come out of Asami's life distraught, she'd emerged...calmer. Asami feeling better was part of the plan. Torturing herself was not.

Korra silently walked to the large hole in the tree trunk. She squinted, trying to find an even patch of ground she could use to calm her mind on. Of course, she could just earthbend some of it smooth, but changing things like that in the Spirit World felt wrong. It'd be like disturbing the peaceful pond of the moon and ocean spirits.

Some things just weren't meant to be done.

"I thought I sensed you around here somewhere."

Korra looked down at the base of the tree, following the voice, and just for a moment she stood there, mouth slightly agape. There was Iroh, lantern in one hand, teapot in the other. The single most friendly and welcoming smile she'd ever laid eyes on. She put a finger to her lips and shook her head. He nodded, clearly understanding that he needed to be quiet. Korra slid down the tree with a grin and wrapped him in a big hug.

"It is good to see you again, Korra."

Korra took a step back to examine him. He seemed shorter, but of course that was because she'd gotten taller. "It's good to see you, too," she whispered. "How have you been?"

Iroh shrugged. "Oh, I've been about the same for the last sixty years. Happy and healthy. What about you?" He frowned and looked very concerned. "You were gone for a very long time. I was worried that the worst had come to pass for you."

Korra gave him a small smile. "It almost did. But...then it didn't."

"Such is life, I suppose. You know, you are not a very good story teller. You think I wouldn't notice a _third _spirit portal? Everyone noticed. In fact, Wan Shi Tong would like to ask you a few questions about that, because he is baffled as to how you were able create a new portal. I have never seen that old bird so flustered." He grins.

"It's a long story, and I couldn't explain that if I tried."

"I figured as much. I tried telling him that it was because you were the Avatar, but he was not satisfied with that answer. Still, you look troubled." He set down his lantern rested a hand on her shoulder. "Though it does not seem too terrible. One of these days, it would be nice to see you when you're not in need. Just to mix things up a little."

Korra gave him a tiny, appreciative smile. "I want that, too."

Iroh lifted his teapot, and Korra realized it was _that _teapot. The one Wan had carried Raava in more then ten thousand years ago. "Would you like some tea?"

"I'd love some." Korra smiled. "We have to be quiet, though." She carefully helped Iroh up into the heart of the tree. "Asami's sleeping. Today took a lot out of her," she whispered.

Iroh looked over at Asami and raised a brow. "Did it now..."

"Not like that." Korra's blushed and she pouted.

"Oh, good. You're really not supposed to do that kind of thing in places like this."

Korra sat down and motioned for Iroh to join her. "I know, believe me. I was actually just thinking about that before you got here." He set down his lantern between them and fished two cups out of his pockets. Korra took the one he offered her. "She lost her father a week ago today. For the second time, actually. She doesn't have any family left. I took her here because I thought it would make her feel better if she was able to...sort of relive all the good times she had with her mom and dad."

Iroh smiled and poured them both a cup of tea. Steam rose as he did, and the lantern made their shadows dance across the walls of the tree. "It sounds like she's important to you."

"Yes. She is." She took a sip of her tea and couldn't help but smile. Jasmine. "She seemed more at ease when she went to bed, so I think it might have helped. As for me..." She sighed. "I didn't realize how painful it would be to more or less _relive her childhood _all the while knowing what would happen next. We talked it out afterward, but...I guess I thought I got everything out of my system, when I really didn't."

Iroh drank some of his tea and scratched his beard. "I am not familiar with this story. Perhaps, if you told me, I could be of better help."

Korra nodded. "Asami's mom was from the Earth Kingdom, and her dad was from Fire Nation. She lost her mother when she was six. A firebender broke into their home, probably trying to rob them, and her mom got in the way. None of them are benders, so they couldn't defend themselves. I watched that happen today." She held in a sob and covered her eyes with her hand. "For the next thirteen years, Asami's dad, Hiroshi, raised her all on his own. And she idolized him. But, the whole time, he was harboring resentment toward all benders because one murdered his wife..."

Iroh raised his brows. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about Hiroshi _Sato_, would you?"

"Yes. You've heard of him?"

"I have, and in more ways than one. Everyone heard about what Amon did. How he claimed to be chosen by the spirits. We don't like that kind of thing. It is very rude to lie about that," he said playfully. "Anyway, I did hear that Hiroshi Sato was a big part of the revolution. I was sad to hear that a man that I had once thought to be very charitable and whole had fallen so far. I suppose his humble beginnings did nothing to stem his anger."

"Wait, how do you know about that?"

"Toph was good friends with Hiroshi's father, but that was a long time ago. Back then, there were no Satos. Only a young man named Satoru who had a dream and a brilliant mind. But, because of the era in which he was born, no one would take him seriously. So he passed that dream on to his son. Hiroshi."

Korra locked her eyes on Iroh as she drank her tea, not wanting to miss a moment. "What was the dream?"

"A better world," he lamented. "Where benders and non-benders were not thought of as separate peoples. Where it didn't matter where you were from. As long as you had a good heart, you would be welcomed with open arms."

Korra raised her brows. "That was...Aang and Zuko's dream. That's the United Republic."

"A lot of people had that dream, Korra. I guess just as many have forgotten that."

Korra was silent for a few moments. "So I guess you know the story, then. Asami..._chose _what was right over her only family. She had so many chances to just go back to her father, but she never did." Korra bowed her head. "She was more willing to lose _everything _but the clothes on her back if it meant doing the right thing. She lost her family, her name, her home, her legacy. And then I stole her boyfriend. That didn't last, though."

Iroh huffed and poured himself another cup. "I think I'm going to need more of this. And so do you..." he said, filling her own. "What did she do, after she had lost everything?"

Korra gratefully took another sip. "She...took it all back, and more. Even the guy, for a little while. That didn't last either. She rebuilt her company. She took back her home. She restored her good name. She stopped developing weapons and made her company something that people could trust. Airships, airplanes, trains, roads, construction work, water...anything and everything to help people."

"It sounds like you look up to her."

Korra hesitated, but then nodded. "I do. I don't understand how she was able to just keep going after life kept taking things from her. She lost everything. Twice. And just kept going."

Iroh smiled and looked over at Asami's sleeping form for a moment. "Did you ever consider that maybe, just maybe, she never quite lost everything? That perhaps there was something that defined her so strongly, that she could never lose it?"

"No, but I feel like I should have."

"If what you're telling is true about Asami, then the reason she was able to keep going could not be more simple," he said, his smile slowly growing. "At some point in her life, she decided that no matter how much pain and suffering she has to endure, no matter how many people she loses, and no matter how much is taken from her, her life is worth living. Because, in the end, she truly believes that everything will work out for the best. That if she waits, and listens for the right moment, she will find true happiness."

Korra stared at Iroh. He was right. He was completely_ right._ Korra had, in the back of her head, always known those things about Asami, but she'd never had the right words, or really the right train of thought to...fully crystallize the idea. ""I...think, deep down, I already knew that. I just couldn't put it into words."

She herself had persevered through her pain and triumphed in a similar way. They had both been made to suffer. Targeted with malice. Where Asami lost her father, she had, at one point, lost her own. She was _so sure _her father had organized a kidnapping of his own brother during the Water Tribe civil war that it nearly shattered her confidence in him. They had both felt betrayed by their fathers, and it was a pain they both shared. It was only then that Korra finally realized it. The tragic difference was...Korra had been wrong. Her father had nothing to do with the act in question, but Hiroshi had _everything _to do with his own crimes. Tears started flowing down her cheeks with no warning at all. She closed her eyes, sobbed quietly a few times, and drank her tea.

"Korra, never underestimate the power of hope and optimism. There is nothing in this world or the material world that can take them away from you. You have to choose to give them up, because they are something you give yourself. That is what makes them so powerful."

"Do you just go around memorizing these beautiful things to say to people, or are you making it up as you go along?" said Korra, wiping her tears away. She felt her mind clear of the grief she had filled it with, the one that wasn't hers to begin with.

Iroh chuckled quietly with a big smile. "Well, in this case, the one about hope, I've told people that one more times than I can remember. But as for the rest..." He made a 'so-so' gesture with his hand. "It's little bit of both. Giving people guidance when they need it most is just like any other skill. You only need to practice, and eventually you'll become very good at it. Not as good as me, since I've been doing this for a very long time, but good enough."

Korra smiled kindly and tilted her head. "Thank you. I feel a lot better."

Iroh shook his head. "Oh, we're not done yet. Asami, you can come join us now."

Korra froze in place as Asami sat down next to her. Of course that would happen to her. Of course Asami would wake up and hear _everything. _Asami took her hand and intertwined their fingers. "...how long were you awake?"

"I never managed to fall asleep again," she said quietly. Her eyes were red and puffy. They'd talk later. "You must be Iroh. It's an honor to finally meet you. I've read so much about you from your nephew's books." She gave him a small bow. "I'd heard that you became a spirit, but I didn't...know what that meant exactly."

Iroh smiled and bowed back to her. "Trust me, the honor is mine. Or, at least I hope it is. That all depends on the kind of person you are, Asami."

Asami shrugged. "You figured me out like I was an open book. What more is there to know?" She sighed. "I'd ask if you really knew Grandpa Satoru, but there are only maybe a dozen people left alive who actually know that's where my name comes from. And...if you're anything like the Iroh I've read about, you wouldn't lie to me."

Iroh nodded. "Very perceptive. Your eyes, are they your mother's?"

"Yes, they are."

"Is this the case for the rest of you, as well?"

"No, I'm not only my mother. I'm not sure anyone is. My looks, with the exception of my skin, I got from my mom. I have my dad's mind and his skin tone. "

"That is good to hear. Is everything that Korra said about you true? Do you focus not on personal gain, but of how you can make the world a better place to live?"

Asami nodded. "My shareholders aren't too fond that I don't mind operating at a loss, for that reason, but I do make the effort, yes."

"Why?"

"Because I have to. Someone has to, and I have the resources, and the means."

Korra shrugged. "I don't understand why this is...Asami wants to help people. It's not that big a deal. Well, it _is, _but it's not...you get what I mean."

"It means more than you know, Korra. It means that her grandfather's dream, my nephew's dream, and Aang's dream of a better world is finally possible. Not to mention the thousands and thousands of others who have struggled and waited for that day to come."

"I'm flattered that you think I can change the world like that, but the reality is that I can't. There's only so much I can do. I'm just one woman," Asami said.

Iroh smirked. "And yet, so is Korra."

"That's different. She's the Avatar."

"The beauty in that statement is that, for ten thousand years, it was true. Now, and only now, is it finally wrong." He put his hands in his lap. "You see, this time, destiny did not only choose Korra. It also chose _you_."

"_What?" _Korra and Asami asked, in unison.

"Asami is as important in the material world as the Avatar is in the spirit world. She is the kind of person that Aang and Zuko hoped would one day exist. The United Republic brings people together from all nations and cultures, and Asami is the culmination of that hope." He chuckled with hint of disbelief. "You are equal parts Earth and Fire, and yet you are neither of those things. You are immovable. You are selfless simply because it is the right thing to do. You are not a bender. You can endure any pain, and you possess the drive and passion to accomplish anything you set your mind to, no matter how difficult the path may be."

Asami opened her mouth, but almost instantly closes it. She averted her gaze from Iroh. "I don't know how to respond to that other than 'thank you', but somehow I feel like that doesn't give your words justice."

Korra grabbed Asami's forearm. "All of that was true, you know. I don't...fully understand what he means by you being as important back home as I am here, but, yeah, you're..._" _She chuckled. "Definitely something special."

"...thanks. With all due respect, Iroh, and as much as I appreciate the compliments, I think you may be overstating my importance. Again, I have influence, but I really don't think I'm worthy of all the faith you've put in me."

Iroh shook his head. "That is where you are wrong." He scratched his beard. "Perhaps there is a better way to show you that..." He smiled. "You wouldn't happen to have a cup of instant noodles, would you?"

Asami wrinkled her nose and nodded. "Yeah. We have tons of them." She quickly retrieved one from their bags and handed it to Iroh.

"Thank you." He laughed. "Zuko came up with this after he tried to explain it to Aang for...I want to say it was several days. I may need a few moments to remember it accurately, as it was a very long time ago." He opened the cup and looked inside. "You know, it is truly amazing how, in the right perspective, something as small as a cup of noodles can mean everything."

Asami turned to Korra with mischievous grin. "So, you're saying that noodles _aren't just noodles_?"

"What? No, they're just noodles."

"Ugh."

"For now, at least." Iroh looked at Asami. "Okay, you are the noodles."

"...I'm the noodles?" she asks, pointing to her chest.

"Yes, and Korra you are the hot water."

Korra laughed. "Yes. Yes I am."

Iroh gave her a blank stare. "Katara made that same joke over seventy years ago. No one laughed."

"Fine. Whatever." Korra pouted. "I have no idea what's going on anymore..."

"I think you know more than you realize. Korra, the role of the Avatar is to be a bridge between the spirit world and the material world, as well as bringing balance to the world. Somewhere in history, people got a little confused, and started to believe that the Avatar was supposed to bring balance to the material world. It is an interesting interpretation, but not entirely accurate. Bringing balance to the world means that you must bring balance to _both _worlds."

"I already knew that. Everyone does."

"Did you, though?"

Korra thought back for a moment. Amon. The Equalists. Harmonic Convergence. That...thing with Hundun. The Red Lotus. The Earth Empire. Each and every time, she was fighting to restore peace and balance to the _material _world first and foremost, even if the end result inadvertently helped the spirit world. She had become much more spiritual over the years, but to have simply missed this about her method of approach made her stomach turn. "...no. No, I didn't. Everything I did was to protect the material world. I care about the Spirit World too, of course, but I guess it's just...I value the lives of humans more than those of spirits. And I don't feel bad about that, but I'm pretty sure I should."

Asami shook her head. "No, you shouldn't. If there's one thing I know about spirits, it's that they can't die. They're just reincarnated into something new, right?"

"More or less. The point I'm trying to make, at least for the moment, is that there has always been a missing piece in the world that everyone has tried to fill with the Avatar. It has never worked." He smiles. "The Avatar travels to each nation and learns their cultures and element. That is the cycle. Now, it is only natural to assume that the Avatar would be the most suited to bring balance and harmony to the material world. To bring people together to form a greater sense of community and trust."

Asami raised a brow. "That sounds awfully familiar."

"It should. You said it yourself not too long ago."

Korra blinked. Something had just clicked inside of her head, and she wasn't quite sure what it was. All she knew was that it was important. "...but they're wrong. Just because the Avatar possesses the knowledge of the four nations and cultures, that doesn't mean they _embody _them. The Avatar is, and always has been, a _guest _in the nation that is not their own. I'm southern water tribe, and that's all I'll ever be. That's all I ever want to be."

Asami rubs her chin. "But if it's not the Avatar, then who is supposed to fill that void? No one else is qualified to be a bridge between peoples." She blinked. "Wait, you said destiny chose _me? _You can't possibly be implying that _I'm _supposed to be the bridge between peoples because of my heritage."

"It is not only because of your heritage. It is also, and far more importantly, about who you are as person."

"Once again, I'm flattered but..." Asami frowns. "I...I'm afraid I still don't quite understand how that makes me a...bridge. I'm only human."

"So was Korra when she beat Vaatu. I'm pretty sure she could only bend water."

Korra chuckled awkwardly. "Yup. I _really _lucked out on the spiritbending being a discipline of waterbending."

"I'm also not a bender, though."

"When has that ever stopped you from achieving great things? Ah, I think I remember how Zuko explained this." Iroh put the cup of noodles on the floor of the tree. "The noodles, without the water, are dry and separate. They break easily, just like the bonds between many different kinds of people. They are brittle and stubborn. They do not have the desire to change. But, once you add the water..." He poured hot water into the cup from his teapot. Asami looked into it through the rising steam. "You have to let it settle, because even though change can happen much faster these days, that does not mean it is truly instant. Just like the noodles. Then, you watch, you listen, you prepare." He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started stirring the noodles.

Korra furrowed her brow and felt _something _start to piece together in her head. "...and, once the noodles are ready, they want to stick together. Stirring them around makes big clumps of them so you can eat more at once!"

Asami looked to Korra. "Which means that more and more people will find trust in one another." She turned to Iroh, mesmerized. "A greater understanding. A stronger sense of community."

Iroh held up his chopsticks, displaying a large tangle of noodles. "Exactly. The water gives the world life and meaning. It can guide us all toward peace and understanding, but that can only happen if the noodles, and the people, are willing to listen. It has to be fresh, or you will lose your only chance at the making the world whole."

Asami looked at Korra and then back at Iroh. "I...but if I _am _this...bridge between peoples...why would people listen to me? I haven't been in politics for very long, and it's not like I've done anything more than fostering better relations between the Earth Kingdom and the United Republic." She furrowed her brow and her eyes flicked toward the lantern. "...and rebuilt Republic City, body and spirit wilds intact. I strengthened the Air Nation. I standardized international airship routes. I've traveled the world and experienced _first hand _every culture imaginable. I was not treated as a guest, but as...a citizen..."

Iroh grinned. "You see? You are the noodles. You are the people. They look to you for guidance, just as much as they do to Korra, even if you do not realize it. The Spirit Wilds would have been been destroyed long ago if not for your respect for them. When you speak, they listen because they know what you have to say is meaningful, and from your heart."

"Are you trying to tell me that..." Asami narrowed her eyes. "...I'm the Avatar of _the people_?"

"No, no, of course not." Iroh laughed and waved her off. "That's ridiculous. There can't be _two _Avatars, because we all know how well that worked out. However, you are not entirely wrong in that assumption. Your roles are not so different." He took a thoughtful sip of his tea. "The both of you strive to solve problems, but in very different ways. If a tunnel needed to be carved through a mountain so a village would not starve, what would you do?"

Korra shrugged. "Earthbend the tunnel and ask the Air Nation to fly in some food so the villagers can get back on their feet."

Asami paused a moment before answering. "I would probably build a manually operated drill that would require minimal maintenance and donate it to the village. That way, they could create their own tunnel, and any others they may need in the future." She hummed. "I'd also help make a well from the ground water. Their crops are probably dying out due to a drought, and they can't get help because they're isolated. If that's not the case, then I'd find out the real reason they were starving to begin with, and help them solve _that _problem."

"I like your idea better."

"Thank you."

Iroh chuckled. "Despite what you may think, neither answer is better than the other. They are both excellent ways to solve the same problem, but the difference is that Asami chose to give them the tools to _solve their own problems _in the future."

Asami smiled. "I...did the same thing with the poorer districts of Republic City. I built low-income housing. I kept struggling schools open with donations, and everyone called me crazy for 'throwing my money away' because I didn't ask for anything in return." She closed her eyes and her smile grew. "I started dozens of community outreach programs for the unemployed and homeless to learn a trade, or skill, and helped thousands find jobs and even homes." She sighed with content. "So many families were able to crawl out of the gutter because of that. And you know what, unemployment has never been lower! And organized crime dropped off a cliff!" she laughed. "Lin actually complained that she _couldn't complain _about that, because the police just don't see as much action as they used to."

Korra shifted. "...how is that not the better option? What she did was beyond amazing. I couldn't have accomplished any of that."

Iroh nodded. "You're right. You would have failed. But, can you honestly say that Asami would have succeeded if she were put into your position?"

Korra reluctantly shook her head. "No. There are some things you just can't think your way out of, and sometimes there isn't anything to build that could help."

Asami chuckled. "I am completely confident in saying that I would have died well over a thousand times if I had to do Korra's job. It really doesn't bother me."

"There will always be many solutions to a problem. And there is no way to know for sure what the best option is." Iroh leaned forward and placed his hands on both of their shoulders. "Alone, you and Asami can do great things. The world has seen that already. But together, there is no limit to what you can accomplish."

"As the noodles..."

"And the hot water," finished Korra.

Iroh grinned and patted them both on the shoulders. "Yes! Exactly! Korra, you could be the first Avatar to bring _true_ balance to both worlds. A _third _portal is only your first step in doing that, for humans no longer have to travel through blizzards to see the spirit world. And you would be succeeding where my nephew and Aang did not," he said, a little downtrodden. He sat back down and drank some of his tea. "Zuko was the noodles once, and Aang was the water. However, the world was simply not ready. It is now, I know it, and I am thankful that there is a chance that my nephew will live to see it happen."

Korra and Asami exchanged a very long look. Korra smiled. "Well, what do you say, Asami? Up for being the noodles?"

Asami chuckled. "Only if you're okay with being the water." Asami held up her palm before Korra could 'correct' her mistake about her title. She was the hot water! Well, it did sound a little silly, when she thought about it.

"I think I can handle that."

Iroh clapped his hands together. "Wonderful. Well, I really should be going." He gathered his things. Torch in one hand, teapot in the other. "I had a lovely time. I would be honored if you came to visit me, but perhaps under better circumstances."

Asami gave him a little bow. "We would love to. Thank you for the invitation."

"Such good manners! So rare these days," he laughed, bowing in return to Asami.

Korra frowned. "What? You're leaving? Just like that...?"

Iroh smiled. "You are not the only one who needs guidance now and then, you know."

She bobbed her head a few times. "That's true, I guess. Well, it was great seeing you again. Thanks for the talk. It was certainly...eye opening."

"You are welcome. Now, come help an old man down from this tree. It's steeper than I remember."

Korra chuckled and rose to her feet. "Sure. I'll be right back." She helped him through the threshold and down the smooth bark of the tree. "I didn't realize that spirits had difficulties like this."

"Oh, we don't. I just needed to talk to you alone for a few minutes."

"Parting words?"

"In a manner of speaking." He gave her that friendly smile of his and looked deep into her eyes. She felt somehow safer and comforted. "Two questions that you do not have to answer."

Korra raised her brows in surprise. "What are they?"

"Do you love her?"

Korra paled and felt like she'd just gotten hit in the stomach by runaway badgermole. She jerked her head down, avoiding his eyes and staring straight at her feet. Her heart raced forward as quickly as her mind, desperately trying to figure out an answer. There was _something _there, she could feel it. She knew Asami knew it too. It just seemed so fragile and precious that deciding what it was, so soon after the suffering they'd just endured, would shatter it. She wasn't ready. She had no answer.

"I...don't know," she whispered with a hint of shame.

"It may sound strange, but it is good that you do not know."

Korra didn't look up, but color returned to her face. "Why?" she mumbled.

"Well, young love is a powerful force, but it also very clumsy. It can consume your entire being, until the only thing that defines you is your love. I get the feeling you have experienced that yourself." He sighed. "When you get older, you realize that there are many kinds of love. The love your parents have for you, the love you have for your friends, and even the love you have for Tenzin are all very different."

Korra looked back up at him with a neutral expression. She wasn't sure how to feel. Or react. She was just scared. She nodded for him to continue.

"Those kinds of love are not so hard to find, if you know where to look. But, the love you may feel for Asami is more rare than you could ever imagine. If you feel there is a chance, no matter how small, that you can find happiness in each other, then you owe it yourself to try and make it a reality."

Korra calmed her breath and crossed her arms. Her mind was frozen in fear and uncertainty. She couldn't think, and could barely process what Iroh was telling her. She needed to be careful. She needed to _try, _and see where it took her. "Okay." Korra nodded. "Second question?" she asked, drained of all emotion.

Iroh frowned and looked at her with concern. "Are you sure? I can always ask another time, Korra. I don't want to cause you anymore discomfort, even if it is, at times, necessary."

Korra narrowed her eyes. "I can take it." And she knew she could.

"Always so stubborn," he said, sighing. "Very well."

"Get on with it. Asami's going to get worried."

"Hm. True. If you had to, would you give up being the Avatar if it meant you could be with the one you love?"

Korra's mind went blank. She'd _never _considered abandoning her duty, her birthright, as an actual option. As a thing that was possible. Who would do that? Who would even _think _of doing that? Being the Avatar was a part of her, and while it was no longer the _only _part of her, it was still a strong portion of her identity. To give it up would mean she'd lose a part of herself, just like when she'd lost her bending. Yet, if she loved someone, truly loved them with everything she was, and could only be with her if it meant sacrificing one the single most important things in the world, Korra would...

Korra...would...

...have no idea what to do.

Korra stared off into the distance. "I'm not answering that question."

"And I hope you never do," he said, grinning.

Korra wrinkled her nose and looked back at Iroh with confusion. "What? I don't understand."

"It is a question that every Avatar must consider, but some questions are best left unanswered. Out of the past six Avatars, only one of them was able to find an answer," he said, his voice filling with grief. "And he suffered greatly because of it."

Korra furrowed her brow. Which one? To her knowledge, it wasn't Aang, nor Roku, Kyoshi, or even Yangchen. Which meant that it was Kuruk. She knew the story. The woman he loved had lost her face to Koh the Face Stealer, and he made it his life's goal to take revenge on the malicious spirit. And he failed. "Kuruk."

"Yes. He abandoned his duties for personal revenge, and never looked back. At that point, he stopped being a true Avatar. He was simply a lonely, angry man who just so happened to be able to bend all of the elements."

Korra nodded. "I promise you, no matter what, I won't make that mistake."

Iroh smiled. "I know. I never doubted you, but it is still important to be aware of these things. Just in case." He cleared his throat. "Okay, _now _it is time for me to leave. I don't want to miss my weekly Pai Sho tournament!"

Korra gave him a big hug. "I...we'll come back to visit soon. I promise."

"I am already looking forward to it." With that, he walked off into the distance, disappearing back into the unknowable folds of the spirit world.

Korra silently climbed back up into the tree and found that Asami was still awake. Her eyes were red and puffy again. Korra sat down next to her and rubbed her back. Asami rested her head on her shoulder.

"Private words for the Avatar?"

Korra nodded slowly. "Yeah. A few things that every Avatar needs to know, and some advice that might come in handy later."

"That's good."

They were silent for a few minutes, and it was comfortable. Peaceful. Korra stroked her hair and went through everything she could remember about the night's rather...stunning conversation. She thought she'd been emotionally drained after watching Asami's life, but after her talk with Iroh she was pretty sure her bones were hollow.

"I know we...sort of made a joke about the whole thing, but..." Asami rubbed Korra's arm. "Am I crazy if I believe him? That I think he's right about me, to a certain extent? Excluding the part about destiny choosing me, I...it makes sense to me. It makes _a lot _of sense, actually. It sounds silly, me being the noodles, but if we worked together like Iroh suggested..." She turned to her, green eyes full of conviction. "I really think we can change things for the better."

Korra smiled kindly. Iroh definitely made some good points, and the deeper meaning behind it all hit her close to home, even if the way he explained it was ridiculous. Much like everything else when it came to Asami, it was worth a try. "I think it's worth a shot. It's not so different then what we're already doing. The only real change is that we...just gained some new awareness, I guess." She screwed up her face and rolled her eyes. "Raava says that 'destiny choosing you', while a nice sentiment, is utterly ridiculous. Her words, not mine."

Asami gave her a wide smile. "I love it when Raava agrees with me. Being in the spirit of order's good graces is definitely something I'd put on a resume. It's a shame I can't prove it, though."

Korra chuckled dryly. She chewed the inside of her lip and decided that she may as well get the conversation over with then and there. Hopefully it wouldn't be too awkward. "Do you want to talk about what...I said to Iroh? About you?"

Asami shook her head. "There's nothing to talk about. In a good way. You understand. That's what matters." She covered Korra's free hand with her own. "...actually, there is something that you said that I want to talk about. Kind of."

"What is it?"

"You...you said I took everything back, and more. For me, when I pick myself up out of the mud, it's the confidence that I _will _take it all back that keeps me going, but that..." Asami hesitated and bit her lip. "...'something more' is by far the most important part of that process." She took a deep breath. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, after this week, and the both of us just...dancing around it, because it's _something _but we don't quite know what..." Her hands squeezed Korra's own. "I know what this is to me. Us. This time, I want _you _to be that 'something more'."

_If you feel there is a chance, no matter how small, that you can find happiness in each other, then you owe it yourself to try and make it a reality._

It surprised Korra just how quickly she came to a decision once the question had _actually been asked. _The vacation was...was it a test? To make sure they could really make it work? Korra didn't know, and she honestly didn't care. She knew what she wanted, and for once, it was really that simple."I want that, too."

And...that was that. Korra felt an enormous weight of tension and anxiety leave the heart of the tree like a blast of wind.

Asami turned to her and smiled. "So...do you want to go to Narook's when we get back?"

Korra gave her a crooked grin. "I'd love to, _noodles_."

Asami's entire face twitched. "...that is _not _going to be a nickname, do you understand?"

"Okay, okay! I was just kidding." She laughed. "Come on, let's try this whole sleeping thing again."

They practically collapsed on top of one another on the bedroll, with Korra's head fitting snugly in the crook of Asami's neck. Korra pulled the blanket over them both.

Asami stroked her hair. "Are we still going to go through your memories tomorrow? We don't have to, if you'd rather not."

Korra shook her head. "No, we do have to. You deserve the whole story, not just snippets of what I can remember."

"Okay, but after that _no more of this heavy stuff." _Asami yawned._"_I don't think I can handle any more emotional revelations like these."

"...me either. Night, Asami." Korra closed her eyes and felt sleep slowly overtake her.

"Goodnight, Korra."

Just before she drifted off, Asami kissed her on the forehead.

And just like that, everything felt _right _again.

* * *

><p><strong> Okay, not even I saw that coming. I was just running through scenarios in my head about how I could have 'tea time' with Iroh, but without making it too fluffy, and...then this happened. I realized about 34s of the way through writing the entire noodle explanation that there's no way Iroh would think of this, and that it was just dorky enough for Zuko. Silver sandwich, anyone?**

**As always, feedback is very much appreciated. No matter how small, strange, random or scathing your thoughts are, I'd love to hear 'em! :)**


	3. Buy Two, Get One Free

**WOW. OKAY. You know what? I was already planning on doing a multi-chaptered Korrasami fic after the finale. That was not this fic. However, thanks to Korrasami being 100% canon and the fact that this whole noodles thing actually makes sense, it wasn't so difficult to adapt my original plans for this story. In fact, they're made better because of the noodles thing. Much better.**

**As we move forward from here, I'd like to take a moment to say a few things to you fine folks. Won't take long. **

**I consider myself decent as a writer. Decent with a few good ideas. And lots of crazy ones. But, uh, this is not really the response I attribute to my level of work. Or style. Or...quantity. Really any aspect you can think of. I'm honestly stunned and humbled by the sheer amount of responses to this fic I've gotten in such a short time frame. Both on and Ao3. That is more than I ever could have hoped for. Somehow, and I'm not entirely sure how, you folks have made it frighteningly clear to me that what I've written is something...more. So I'll keep writing it, because it's just so damn fun. **

**Seriously. Thank you.**

**Byrke, we love you, and you'll always own Avatar at heart. Even if Viacom has the 'legal' rights.**

**EDIT: I had Bolin fix a few OOC moments, and sweep a few things under the rug that weren't meant to be there. Thanks Bolin!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 2 - Noodles**

**Section 3:**

**"Buy Two, Get One Free"**

"Asami, maybe you should just put the books back," sighed Korra.

Asami had insisted that they visit Wan Shi Tong's Spirit Library almost instantly after Korra had explained its existence. Which was really just second hand information from Jinora. She had nearly exploded with excitement at the prospect of...whatever it was she was researching, Korra wasn't entirely sure. Something about spirit energy and the way that both worlds intersected. It made Asami happy, though, and that's all she really cared about.

The old bird had, begrudgingly, allowed them to enter and borrow what they wished so long as Korra explained how she'd managed to create a new spirit portal from what was, apparently, the _wrong _side. The original two at the poles had been created from the spirit world long before the existence of the Avatar, but the one she'd made, in the heart of Republic City, was something distinctly different. They had talked and argued for hours, getting nowhere, while Asami presumably ran around the massive library. Every few minutes she'd hear some sound of surprise, elation or giddiness off in the distance.

Korra supposed it was fitting that she was able to drag the conversation out as long as she did, even if it wasn't her choice. It certainly gave Asami time to gather what she needed.

Which was a little too much, apparently.

"You should listen to the Avatar, human. I have very little patience for those who abuse my generosity," bellowed Wan Shi Tong, his larger-than-life voice echoing throughout the tall and open halls of the library. He puffed out his chest and brought his beak mere inches from Asami's nose. "You have revealed your greed in your search for information, just as every human has before you. Leave now, and I will forgive this unfortunate mistake."

Asami shook her head defiantly and held the stack of books close to her chest. "No, absolutely not. I followed proper procedure for checking them out." She glared at the giant owl spirit. "I filled out your forms, I gave you new information, _lots of new information, _simply because I believe in sharing knowledge, rather than hoarding it."

"...those are the _old _rules, but I will humor you. When did you give me new information? I do not recall this."

"Just now. Korra, could you please give him the book at the bottom of my pack?"

Korra nodded and started fishing through Asami's things. Sweatpants, make up, discarded cups of noodles, a...lace nightgown, a spare change of clothes, a flashlight, a bedroll and a small book. She read the cover. "An Introduction to Electrical Engineering, by...Hiroshi Sato? Why were you carrying this?"

"...I needed to bring a piece of him with me, but you sort of took care of that part, now didn't you?"

Korra smiled bashfully. "Well. Yeah. A little."

Wan Shi Tong picked up the book with his beak and set it down on the information desk. "Amusing, but what makes you think this single book is equal to those you are holding?"

"The most recent engineering text you have here is from over a hundred years ago. This was published five years ago. Your knowledge is outdated without this book."

"I cannot deny this. Human technology has advanced far beyond what I had previously thought possible. However, you must understand my hesitation in this matter. You may have the Avatar's blessing, which carries far more weight these days, but you yourself are only human. In case you were not informed, my leniency toward humans once nearly destroyed your moon."

Asami frowned. "I know my history."

"Then you should also know that my knowledge of astronomy was also abused for the sake of war. A perfectly peaceful practice of studying the stars transformed into a weapon. Not unlike your recent problem regarding the spirit vines. Over the countless millennia of human existence, this library has been exploited time and time again for the sake of personal gain, no matter how noble the intention."

Asami scowled at the old bird. "Well, in case you hadn't noticed, the world has changed! Both of ours! Humans have changed, too! Spirits and humans are living together in peace, and the only reason that's possible is because I fought for the wilds! They would have been paved over or attacked _constantly _if I hadn't done something about it." She huffs. "I may not be a spiritual person, but I know a thing or two about tolerance and understanding."

"The fact that you are not spiritual makes me question my decision to allow you within this library at all! This is a sanctuary of knowledge for those who seek enlightenment!"

Korra pouted and squeezed herself between the two bickering intellectuals. "Okay, _that's enough. _Asami, how many books do you have?"

"Fourteen."

"How many do you _need?"_

"_Fourteen."_

Korra shot her a sidelong glance. "Asami…"

"Ugh. Ten."

Wan Shi Tong huffed and shook his head. "Absolutely unacceptable. Ten is far too many. I will accept no more than a single book!"

"Eight."

"Two."

"Seven!"

"Three!"

"Six!"

"Five!"

Asami grumbled. "...fine. I can live with five books. Are those terms agreeable, Wan Shi Tong?"

The old bird ruffled his feathers. "I would not call them agreeable, but I will...tolerate them. Do not betray this kindness, human. That goes the same for you, Avatar." He flapped his wings powerfully and flew far into the deeper reaches of the library, his black feathers quickly vanishing from sight.

Korra crossed her arms and followed Asami as she packed her newly acquired books. "I think I just used up my one favor with him. Please tell me it was worth it."

"I wouldn't have put you in that position if it wasn't." Asami grinned and slung her bag over her shoulder. "...especially since I really only _needed_ one book." She giggled and began walking through the massive stone archways of the library. Her boots clacked against the floor and the sound echoed throughout. "The other four are just in case I need to cross-reference a few things."

Korra stared blankly at Asami and caught up to her. They walked in tandem toward the bright light of the entrance. "So, you just outsmarted Wan Shi Tong."

"Yes. Yes I did."

"The All Knowing Spirit of Knowledge."

"Grossly exaggerated, if you ask me."

"_He who knows ten thousand things."_

"Ten thousand things that may, or may not be, accurate."

Korra pinched her brow. "Asami. That...really was not okay."

Asami turned to her with a wrinkled nose. "...why? I treated him with respect, then he berated me for who I was, so I manipulated him into getting what he _thought_ hewanted."

Korra huffed as they walked through the enormous doors of the library and out to the yellow stone courtyard. Flying spirits twirled off the distance, dancing with the colors and light that permeated every angle of the Spirit World. "But that's what _you _wanted! You only made him think that he wanted to compromise. And you manipulated me, too!"

Asami frowned slightly. "Well, yes, but that's something you'd have done anyway. It's just a business tactic. He was acting like a jerk, I don't see what the issue is."

"You're supposed to _respect_ the spirits, Asami."

"Oh, I _did _respect him. I respected his sanctuary, his rules, and his generosity." She put a hand on her hip. "You told me Wan Shi Tong was important, so I took that on faith, because I trust you. And I still think you're right. He is important, but that doesn't mean he has the right to treat me like I'm somehow inferior to him."

Korra opened her mouth but then closed it. She scratched her head. "Well, that's true, but...it just feels wrong in my gut. I just get the feeling you're not supposed to do that."

Asami sighed. "Okay, well, what shouldI have done?"

"Accept what ever terms he sets forth. If he says no, you excuse yourself and move on."

Asami stared blankly at her. "...you can't possibly be serious. You're telling me not to fight for what I want. _You, _of all people."

"Okay, yeah, I get what you're saying." Korra rubbed her forehead. "It's not the same with spirits!"

Asami tilted her head and crossed her arms. "Why?"

"What?"

"Why is respect different for spirits than it is for humans?"

"I don't know, it just sort of is."

Asami furrowed her brow. "That's not really an answer."

Korra flipped her hands in the air. "Well, that's the best one I have! I'm sorry, all right, but I can't...I don't really have the words for it. I don't entirely understand it myself, but my gut tells me that it's just not done." She puffed out her cheeks. "Why wasn't this a problem with Iroh? You were instantly humble around him."

"Korra, he treated me with respect. He didn't look down on me. He didn't berate me. He wasn't condescending. Wan Shi Tong did _not _respect me, so I have no reason to respect him."

Korra had no idea how to argue with that. Maybe Asami was right. Maybe Wan Shi Tong wasn't in the right. If he had been human, Korra might've leapt down his throat for berating her. "...I guess you're kinda right, Asami. Maybe that's part of the change that needs to happen, you know? Humans have always respected spirits, mostly, so maybe now it's time for them to respect us." She shrugged. "If we're gonna live together, in both worlds, there's gonna need to be a level of mutual respect and understanding."

"_Exactly."_

It was so obvious, now that she thought about it. Of _course _the spirits needed to be treated with the same standards as humans. They had to stop revering them just as much as they needed to stop discarding them altogether. "Nice job, _noodles,"_ she said, with a crooked grin.

Asami twitched. Everywhere. "...thanks...hot-" She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. "That's not fair and you know it. Yours actually makes sense."

Korra put both hands on her hips. "Really now?"

Asami blushed for the briefest of moments, but kept her eyes solely on Korra. "Yes. Yes it most certainly does."

Korra's smile softened.

They're both silent for a few moments, staring at one another. Of course, it's Korra's massive stomach growl that broke the silence. She looked down at her stomach with wide eyes.

"We're out of food, Korra."

She deflated. "I know."

"We have to go back."

"...I know." Korra grabbed Asami's hand and took a small breath. "Okay. Ready?"

"Not really, but I don't plan on walking."

Korra smiled. She focused on the energy radiating from the spirit portal, _her _spirit portal, and moved the both of them through the everlasting folds and streaking colors of the Spirit World. And just like that, they were in the flowerbed again. White and purple. Hundreds of gnarled trees that oddly resembled the Tree of Time.

The spirit portal was bright with pure yellows and whites emanating from it, coloring the sky in a beautifully fluid pattern. The light washed over them, and Korra found it comforting. Asami, however, looked like she might vomit.

"_I will never get used to that._"

"You drive fast satomobiles. I don't understand how this is any different."

"You just moved, by my guess, several thousand miles in two seconds. Those are _not _the same." She slowed her breath. "Give me a moment."

"Sure."

Asami blinked and slapped her forehead. "Oh, I _cannot believe this happened._"

"What? What's wrong?"

Asami groans and fidgets. "We came here to take a _break _from all our crazy and insanely demanding responsibilities, and now we're leaving with _more _of them!" She rubs her eyes. "...one conversation with Iroh and your entire outlook on the world changes. Just like that."

"He has a way of doing that." Korra sighed and rubbed the sides of her eyes with her palms. "Trust me, though. It'll be for the best. For both of us." She took Asami's hands in her own and smiled. "We're doing this together, remember? It's not just you against the world, or just me against...both worlds. It's you and me. Instant noodles."

Asami laughed. "That still sounds ridiculous, but you're right." She smiled kindly. "Thank you, for all of this. For helping me remember. For understanding. For knowing what I needed before I knew myself." She squeezed their hands together. "For _this._"

Korra raised a cocky brow. "Hey, come on. Don't talk like that. This isn't an end of an era, or anything. We're just going home. Nothing too big about that, right?"

"Right." Asami snorted and touched their foreheads together. "I'm not _that _much of a romantic. Give me a little credit, Korra. This just meant a lot to me, and I want you to know that."

"Believe me, I know."

Asami tilted her head. "Well, just to be sure, I think I need to make it _extra _clear. I'll need to show you, though. I don't quite have the words." She leaned closer, brushing her lips against Korra's. "The Spirit World reflects the Avatar's emotions, remember?" she whispered. "And, somehow, if I'm touching you, _my _emotions are treated the same?"

Korra's heart pounded in her chest and her mouth magically dried up. She should have expected that, in hindsight. "Both of those things are true."

"Then I know just how to show you."

Korra was not prepared for just how _warm _Asami's lips were. Also her everything. It's wasn't the first time they kissed, no most certainly not, but it was by _far _the most passionate. And the longest. And the most heated. Korra wrapped her arms around her neck as Asami's hands found their way to her waist and somehow she was pulled even closer. Upon until that very moment in her life, breathing through her nose had never been so _important._ She wasn't sure how much time had passed when they finally broke apart, but the fact that her lips were numb was a pretty good indication that it was a _long time._

Korra was flushed. Everywhere. _Everywhere. _She laughed breathlessly and buried her head in Asami's shoulder, embracing her. She felt a little dizzy. "You're _waaaaaaaay _too good at that._"_

"One of my lesser known talents, to be sure." Asami chuckled and absently ran her fingers through Korra's hair. "...and I think this whole Spirit World feelings thing is one of yours."

Korra giggled and raised her head. "Oh, right, the...emotions thing." She looked around them and her mouth fell open. "_Woah."_

For as far as she could see, and most likely beyond, the field of purple and white flowers were completely in bloom. They glistened in the light coming from the portal, and calmly swayed from side to side. The once dead trees were now covered in leaves. Life. Everything was silent. No wind. No spirits around. Nothing to disturb them.

It was perfect.

Asami snickered, chortled, chuckled and then finally broke into a hearty laugh. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, this is _beautiful, _but it's like something out of a trashy romance novel! The two lovers kiss, and _all the flowers bloom_ because the nature spirit gave them her blessing. And then everything was perfect forever." She wiped away a few tears from her eyes, and Korra couldn't tell what caused them. "So, yes. This is more or less how much this meant to me."

Korra bit her lower lip. Things needed to change in the spirit world. Humans and spirits needed to treated as equals. The spirit world wasn't _all _hallowed ground, despite Raava's rather loud insistence that it indeed _was _and Korra, no, don't even _think about doing that kind of thing here it's just not done_.

...guess she'll just have to deal with it.

With no warning, Korra crushed her lips against Asami's, dragging her into a fierce, but brief kiss. She pulled her black hair out if it's tie and began unbuttoning Asami's jacket. She stopped almost instantly, realizing that there wasn't...exactly precedent for that between them. "I, uh…"

Asami was blushing from head to toe. "Wait, I thought…" She blinked a few times. "I...we had that whole conversation that we _couldn't _in the Spirit World. How it wasn't okay. You were pretty firm on that. I think you said _Raava _was pretty firm on it, too."

"You said things needed to change. I agree."

"_This _quickly? That was five minutes ago!"

"I'm not always good at being patient, remember?"

Asami snickered. "Flowerbeds aren't _real _beds, you know."

"How am I supposed to react?! You just kissed me so hard that it _actually changed the world around us!"_

"That...is a fair point."

"So?"

Asami smirked and lowered her eyes. "Kiss me again, and we'll see how things go."

Korra threw herself at Asami and grossly miscalculated just how fast she was moving. Asami caught her, lips and all, but she stumbled backward. She lost her balance and before she had a chance to right herself or even drop Korra, they both fell backward into the spirit portal with a panicked yelp.

* * *

><p>As the world's first mover star, Bolin enjoyed certain perks. Many of them involved being invited to things. Weddings, parties, galas, pro-bending (which he found hysterical), and every other kind of event were always within his reach. Of course, he couldn't attend <em>all <em>of them. He was only one man! One devilishly _handsome _man, but one man all the same.

Sometimes, though, there came an event that was so important and noteworthy that he wouldn't miss it for the world. When President Raiko had approached him and asked if he wanted to host a benefit concert to raise funds to expand Republic City, his exact words were:

"Absolutely!"

Followed by:

"...let me just check with Opal first, though."

Bolin inspected himself in the mirror. Finely pressed suit. He grinned. Great teeth. Yes. Very good. He fixed his hair and made _extra _sure he'd tied his bowtie right. He had not. He frowned and his posture fell apart. "Opal, could you please help me with the bowtie? I swear, it's like they change how they make these things every time…"

Opal chuckled as she walked up beside him. She was wearing an interesting, but still very stunning, combination of her formal clothing from Zaofu and her airbender wingsuit. Her deft hands began _correctly _tying his bowtie. "I promise you that they don't. Besides, it's cute that I get to help you with little things like this." Oh, Opal. Always so _gorgeous, _and smart, and better with her hands at basically everything…not like that. Well, yes _also _like that. One of a kind. "And if it means I get to make you look even _more _handsome than you already are, then it's sort of a no brainer." She finished her work and patted him on the chest.

Bolin smiled. "How many times have I told you that I love you today?"

"Today, specifically? Only around twenty three times."

He raised both his large eyebrows. "Wow, really? That...okay, seems like a lot."

Opal giggled and gave him a quick kiss. "Not really. It's part of your charm. Essentially."

"Well, then let's make it twenty four!" he said, with gusto. "Opal Beifong, you are the best and I love you."

"Love you too, Bo."

Bolin cracked his neck. "Okay. _Let's do this." _He marched out of the bathroom and straight into the inner hallways of the air temple. Oh. Right. They still had to...with the bison. Yup. "Opal, honey, I'm gonna grab Mako. Meet you at the stables, okay?"

Opal smiled and waved him off. "Yeah, sounds good. I need a few more minutes anyway. You would not believe where these wingsuits get stuck." She struggled with the form-fitting suit. "I swear it's like Asami _designed _them like this…"

Bolin shrugged and closed the door behind him. Knowing Asami...well, she...nah, that would be ridiculous. She probably just overlooked it, or it was something necessary Opal didn't know about. He walked across the hall toward his brother's room, but before he could get there he came across the face of a _monster._

A ruthless general bent on conquering the world.

The most powerful airbender of all time.

_Meelo._

"Got all your farts out, little buddy? This is gonna be an open air concert, so if you start going...everybody is going to notice," he says, chuckling.

Meelo pouted up at him. "Who says I don't _want _them to notice, huh? You can't tell me not to fart! Nobody can!"

Bolin loved Tenzin's kids, but sometimes he needed to use little white lies so they'd stay out of trouble. Mostly. Thankfully, Meelo was weak to one thing, and one thing only. "Korra told me to tell you that you need to hold your farts until after the concert." Trump card!

"Oh, okay. Shouldn't be a problem. I'm-" He farted. "-totally in control." He jabbed a finger up at Bolin. "You didn't see, hear or smell _anything."_

Bolin smiled and saluted. "Of course not, sir!"

"Good! Carry on, soldier," he said, marching off toward the kitchen. Adorable.

Bolin knocked on his brother's door. "Bro, you ready yet? I kinda don't wanna be late for this. Because I'm hosting it. And because literally everyone we know is gonna be there. Also because it's really nice out tonight."

"Got any more reasons I should know about, or is that all of them?" asked Mako.

"I'm sure I'll think of some later. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure."

Bolin slid inside and closed the door behind him. "So, Opal and I have been talking, and we were thinking that, you know, Mako really needs to get back in the dating scene. How would _you _like to have the two best wingmen, uh, wingman and wingwoman, okay actually she's _literally _a wingwoman so-Hey, your hair is back to normal! That's awesome."

Mako raised a very tightly trimmed brow. "I just want to point out that it took you around four sentences to notice that, but thanks. It feels good to have it back, actually." And not only that! Mako was dressed in...exactly the same suit he was at Varrick's wedding. Maybe he doesn't own another suit?

Well, maybe it was the only one he owned that accommodated the cast on his arm.

Bolin grinned and sidled up beside him. "Glad to hear it, bro. Because you seriously looked like General Iroh. It was weird for everyone."

Mako sighed. "That was...sort of the point. Grandma _insisted _that I do my hair like that."

"...well, she does like royalty."

"Yes. She does."

He clapped Mako on the back. "Anyway, about you and _dating. _Whaddya say? C'mon, we'll find you somebody great! There are millions of women in this city, and you know how they like_ a man in uniform_," he said, wiggling his brows and poking Mako with his elbow.

Mako seemed to consider it for a moment. "...oh, sure. Why not? As soon as I get out of this cast, we'll give it a try. What could possibly go wrong?"

Bolin gave him a bemused expression. "Well. Everything now, since you just asked that question. Do you even _watch _the movers, Mako?"

"What? What do movers have to do with...whatever it is that I said?"

Bolin sighed and hugged his big brother. "It's okay, bro. I'll make sure no crazy lady tries to…"

"...do the things that Eska did?"

"Yes. Yes, exactly those things. Good idea, good point. I actually have a bunch of plans, in case that happens."

Mako wrinkled his nose. "To you or to me?"

"They're transferable. Except for the ones that involve tunnels, 'cause, you know. You can't earthbend."

Mako clenched his jaw. "I feel safer already."

Bolin flailed his arms. "Hey, it's not like I won't be there! I can earthbend the tunnels if it comes to that. Besides, this is all future stuff. We should be focusing on the now. Specifically, how _amazing _this concert is gonna be!"

Mako nodded. "You know what? You're right. This is going to be a great night for the whole city, and you…" He put his good hand on Bolin's shoulder. "You're going to do great out there. There's a good reason you're a mover star, little bro."

"Thanks, big bro. All right, c'mon, let's go wrangle up everyone else."

Bolin and Mako left the older brother's room and quickly dodged a gaggle of airbenders flying past them. It was only a moment, but Bolin was able to get a look at Ikki flying by with her wingsuit, carrying a book, with Jinora close behind her. "Woah!"

"IKKI! GIVE IT BACK! THAT IS A PIECE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY!" yelled Jinora.

"It can't be private, 'cause we're Air Nomads! We don't own anything!" replied Ikki.

"Oh, so _now _you want to follow the old traditions?! When it's convenient for you?"

"Yup!"

Tenzin came rushing toward them, his cape bellowing behind him. "Mako. Bolin." He slowed just long enough to give them both a friendly nod.

"IKKI! JINORA! STOP FLYING THROUGH THE TEMPLE THIS INSTANT OR I'M GOING TO...OR I'LL...I'LL GROUND YOU FROM GOING ON MISSIONS!"

"You can't do that! I'm a master airbender!"

"You're also my daughter!"

"Hello, boys." Pema jogged after Tenzin, carrying Rohan with her. "Don't mind me! Just trying to get everyone back on track!"

"Good luck!" Bolin looked at Mako, and shrugged. "Kids."

Mako laughed. "Yeah, exactly."

The fabulous bending brothers, man Bolin really missed that name, walked out into the courtyard. The night was young and it really was just wonderful out. A cool breeze, a lovely sunset glowing across Yue Bay. The perfect night for an open air concert.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to _that _thing being so bright all the time," said Mako, pointing toward the spirit portal. Bright yellow and fluctuating between...things? It was calming to look at it.

"That's what you said about living at the Air Temple."

"Yeah, but-"

"And us not being together like, all the time when I went to work with Kuvira."

"Okay, I-"

"And being so casual with Lin."

"_Bolin, I get it. _You're right. It's just a big light in the sky. We've all gotta to deal with it."

Bolin smirked. "Interesting choice of words."

Mako chuckled. "Wow, yeah. Didn't even mean to do that."

"Suuuure you didn't."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Anyway...wait, weren't we supposed to tell more people it's time to leave?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, yeah, but we ran into everybody we needed to on the way, so we're good."

"...we didn't tell them it was time to go."

"Tenzin was all over that."

"Uh, okay. What about Opal?"

"She's waiting for us at the stables."

"Bumi?"

"He told me he was going to go get the bison ready about an hour ago."

Mako slapped his forehead. "Then why are we just standing here?"

Bolin put his palm on his chest. "Well, _I _was enjoying the evening and your company."

"I...but...fine, okay, I see your point." Mako sighed started walking toward the stables. "Come on, Bo. Let's get going."

"Sounds good!"

They started walking over to the stables. Then jogging. Running. Okay, then it turned it a sprint, and all of a sudden they were racing. Mako had longer legs, so he had the advantage. Or so he _thought._

"Give it up, Bolin! You can't win!"

"Really? Then what's this I'm doing?" He swung his arms upward and a pillar of earth propelled him into the sky, straight toward the Juicy's saddle "Opal! Break my fall!" Opal waved her arms in a spiral motion and caught Bolin in a cushion of air, slowing him down so that he landed comfortably by her side. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

Mako ran up to the bison with a very petulant frown. "What was that?! I thought we agreed we couldn't use bending! You realize I can _fly, _right?"

"I am well aware of your firebending prowess, Mako, but sadly this time we didn't actually specify that we _couldn't _use bending or not."

"It's an unwritten rule. Every time we race, no bending. For fifteen years."

Mako _did _sort of have a point. "...okay, fine. I cheated, I'll admit it. Want a boost up?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Bolin smacked his palms against the saddle and popped Mako up into it with earthbending. "We good to go?" He looked over at Oogi and Tenzin's family. Also Kai. They were all accounted for. "Tenzin! We're good!"

"Okay! Oogi, yip yip!"

"Juicy, yip yip!"

The two bison took off in tandem and quickly rose to a comfortable altitude. Or, at least as comfortable as an earthbender could be while flying. Bolin looked down at the city below. _His _city. Mako's city. Korra's city. Asami's city. Actually, it was quite literally Asami's city. About 80% of it had the Future Industries logo stamped on it. The outer districts were mostly undamaged by Kuvira's invasion, but downtown...well, it was essentially obliterated. And covered in vines. And had a giant spirit portal, which made it the _perfect _venue for the concert!

Natural lighting, big open space, and lots of beauty all around. It was an event for everyone who called Republic City home. Humans _and _Spirits.

"...hey Mako?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm super glad that Narook's didn't get destroyed."

"Me too, bro."

"Also the pro-bending stadium."

"Heh. Yeah, I'm with you there."

Oogi landed first, since Tenzin and his family were going to be in the audience. Juicy went a little further toward the portal, and Bolin could already see the stage was almost ready. It was going to be _awesome. _The bison landed and Bolin hopped off without a second thought. "See you guys after the concert!"

"Good luck!"

Opal blew a kiss at him, and he caught it. Then he stored it in his pocket. That made...four hundred and twenty seven.

The _best._

Bolin trotted over to the control center for the concert, which was really just a broadcast station converted so that it could work outdoors. Laborers hauled big speakers and boxes of instruments onto the stage at a staggering rate. He knew this thing was popular, but _that was a lot of boxes. _Wait, he knew the guy working at the station.

"Shiro Shinobi!"

"Well, if it isn't my favorite underdog!" He got up from his seat to shake Bolin's hand. "How yah been, kid?"

"Great! Great. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing just fine. Still living the dream! Commentating on anything and everything. What about you? Haven't seen you in a while, whatcha been up to?"

"Uhhh, well, I went on a worldwide journey to find new airbenders, fought some terrorists, learned how to lavabend. Then I joined Kuvira's army and helped her conquer the Earth Kingdom before I realized she was crazy and evil. And _then_ I defected back to the United Republic, warned them about a super weapon, not the robot, the big spirit cannon, aaaand then I helped blow it up. And now I'm here talking to you!"

Shinobi stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "Wow! You live quite a life!"

Bolin grinned. "Thanks, I try to make it worth living, you know? Give it a little spice everyday."

"Sort of seems like you're adding a bit too much, if you ask me."

Bolin raised a brow. "Hey, it's taken me a _long time _perfect this recipe that we call life, okay? I'd appreciate it if you didn't critique my methods.

"...wait, back up a bit. You said you could _lavabend_?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Only living lavabender. That would be...super illegal in pro-bending, right?"

Shinobi shrugged. "I've no idea. There's nothing in the rule book about it."

Bolin stroked his chin. "Hm. I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, it was great seeing you, Shiro! I'll let you get back to work."

"_NUKTUK!"_

Bolin spun toward the voice and made a big open mouth smile. "VARRICK!" He ran up and gave him a quick hug. "What are you doing here?" He noticed Zhu Li standing next to him. "Oh hey, Zhu Li! What are you _two _doing here?"

"The concert! Raiko was kind enough to offer me the chance to film this big shindig!" He put his arm around Bolin and pointed toward the portal. "I'm telling you, kid, the mover I make out of this is gonna be seen around the world! I'll make _millions_!"

"...which he will then donate to Republic City in order to help fund its expansion and reconstruction," added Zhu Li with a smile.

"Right. Yes. Charity. Keep forgetting I'm a _philanthropist _now. Know what those kind of people are, Bolin?'

"No, I do not."

"They just give their money away. That's what they do. That's their _entire life. _They're _crazy!"_

Bolin raised his brows. "That doesn't...make any sense."

"I said the same thing, Bolin. Believe me, I tried to fight it, but then I remembered that I helped save this city." He grinned and struck a heroic pose. "And that if _Varrick Industries International _is going to be on top again, I've gotta start from the bottom and do it _right _this time!"

"Uh...huh…"

Zhu Li chuckled. "Bolin, trust me. He truly is committed to this new direction. And...I like to think I had a little hand in it."

Varrick smiled and picked up Zhu Li. "Are you kidding?! This was your idea, all along. And you know I'd do _anything _for you." His face twitched. "Except get a divorce! I will _never get one of those_! Oh, hey, wait, isn't the concert about to start?"

Bolin turned back around toward the control booth. "Hey, Shiro! How much time until the concert starts?!"

"Two minutes! Better get on up there, kid!"

"Okay, I've gotta go. We'll catch up soon, okay?"

"Of course, Bolin."

"You got it, Nuktuk."

"Stop that."

"No can do."

Bolin sighed and hopped up to the stage. He walked off toward the side of it and took a look at the turnout. It was _amazing. _There were more people there than at a fully packed pro-bending match! Families, couples, random other people and spirits all sitting together on picnic blankets. It was truly a beautiful sight.

"We're on in five…"

Bolin smoothed out his jacket.

"Four…"

He checked his cuffs.

"Three…"

He cracked his neck.

"Two…"

He cracked his knuckles.

"One! We're live!

He snapped his fingers and grinned.

_Showtime._

Bolin stepped out on to the center of the stage with a big smile and picked up the microphone. "Hello, Republic City! How are you all doing tonight?!"

The crowd _roared _with cheer and applause. It washed over Bolin just as it did all those years ago when he was just a little Fire Ferret. My, how things have changed.

"That's great! That's fantastic! I'm glad you're all doing so well. My name is Bolin, of the Future Industries Fire Ferrets, but some of you may know me a little better as _Nuktuk! Hero of the South!"_

More cheers and applause. If Bolin was anything, he was a crowd pleaser. A man of the people.

"But I'm not here today to talk about movers, pro-bending, or civil wars, or terrorists, or really anything negative. I am here today, to talk about our city." He bowed his head. "Two weeks ago, we suffered a great loss, but we were also granted a beautiful gift!" He gestured up toward the spirit portal behind him. "This spirit portal is a testament to just how strong and united our city has become over the years! When I look out in the audience, I see not only the people of every nation, but spirits as well! Howdy, spirits! Nice to see you all out tonight!"

The crowd laughed.

"Seriously, folks. We did it. We survived. We triumphed when no one else could! And we owe it all to-"

"_Now, hold on a moment! Something is coming out of the spirit portal!" _commented Shiro Shinobi, his distinct voice blasting out of the speakers next to the stage.

Bolin raised a brow and turned around to see that there was indeed something, or rather _someone _coming out of the...Oh. Oh, there's _just no way. _Two figures fell backward out of the portal and rolled down the small hillside, screaming as they went. They crashed into several instruments and settled directly next to Bolin.

"_No, it's someone! Two someones! They're tumbling down the hillside, folks, screaming the whole way, and oh they've just crashed into some of the instruments! Tahno and the Formers are _not _going to be happy, but that has gotta hurt!"_

Somewhere, Bolin heard a record skip.

There was Korra, firmly mounted on top of Asami, who was partially undressed. Oh, he _so _called that. Knew it. _Knew it. _Kai owed him fifty yuans. Wait, who else was in that pool-RIGHT! Korra. Back to Korra. They were both badly bruised and shaken, and didn't seem to realize what _exactly was going on. _In fact, they looked pretty out of it. Korra appeared _slightly _unconscious. Lucky for them, their best friend Bolin was there to bail them out.

They were mumbling something, so he had to act fast.

"_Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or is that-"_

"AVATAR KORRA, ladies and gentlemen! And spirits! Come on, she's the reason why we're all still kicking tonight!" he yelled, striking as powerful a pose as he could. Wake up, Korra.

_Wake up._

* * *

><p>Korra's entire head was ringing. Things were blurry, and too loud. Everything hurt. She rubbed her forehead and clenched her eyes shut. "...ow. You all right, Asami?" she asked, resting her head on her chest.<p>

"Yeah, I'm okay. Little banged up, but I'll be fine. Give me a little war...ning…next time…" she trailed off.

"Mmm. Yeah."

"Korra?" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"Look up."

Korra looked up and allowed her eyes to focus. Over a hundred thousand people, and spirits, were staring right at her. Film crews were trained at them. Everything was so _loud _and-wait. People. Hundred thousand...people. Korra's entire head lost all color as she stared out into the audience, frozen.

"-KORRA, ladies and gentlemen! And spirits! Come on, she's the reason why we're all still kicking tonight!" yelled a voice right next to and above her. One she recognized.

"_Yes! It is folks! For those of you way in the back, or at home, Avatar Korra, and what looks like Future Industries CEO Asami Sato have just fallen out of the spirit portal! They look pretty banged up and in a rather compromising position, in this commentator's opinion."_

Korra looked up to find Bolin, and started breathing again. Okay. Don't panic. She could do...whatever this was. She had backup. She carefully got to her feet and helped Asami to hers.

Bolin gave her the microphone. "Say something," he whispered. "Got some lipstick smeared on you_."_

Korra blinked and stared at the microphone for a moment. She wiped off Asami's lipstick. Bolin had her back. Right. Public Statements. Yes! But, more...inspiring? Okay. _Okay. _She's _got this. _"GOOD EVENING, REPUBLIC CITY!" she screamed.

Cheering. Applause. _So many people. _Pass it off as planned. Special guest appearance. Surprise! What was _even happening_?

"I just took a nice, long trip to the Spirit World, because I wanted to make sure that this portal is safe and fully functional! Well, good news everybody! It's got my seal of approval! No more braving the freezing blizzards of the poles to get in there!"

* * *

><p>"<em>...got my seal of approval! No more braving the freezing blizzards of the poles to get in there!" <em>boomed Korra, her voice blasting out of the speakers all over the open field.

Varrick stared at the stage with the widest eyes he'd ever been able to muster. Korra and _Asami. _Now _that _was something he hadn't seen coming! Well, good for them! And for him, for _catching it all on film! _He still impressed himself sometimes. He chuckled mischievously and leaned down toward Zhu Li. "I think we just hit a cinematic _goldmine _with this one, Zhu Li," he whispered. "Forget millions. We'll make _billions! _Tell cameras three and four to _do the thing_!" He stared off into space. "Oh, wait, right, they'll have no idea what I'm talking about." He picked up his radio. "Camera three, track Avatar Korra. Camera four, keep your eyes on Sato. Leave number one open in case something else crazy happens, and camera two I want you to get the whole thing in a big wide angle shot."

"Excellent practice, Varrick." Zhu Li turned his radio _on _with a tiny smile. "Now, time for the real thing."

He smiled down at her. "I love you."

"I know."

* * *

><p>"Now, I'm sure you all are wondering…" Korra took the mic off the stand and began pacing across the stage. "Why I came back. Right? Come on, be honest." There was some grumbling in the crowd. Okay, she was getting to them. Good. "The Avatar is the bridge between both worlds, so shouldn't I be spending as much time there as I do here? Well, to put it bluntly, no."<p>

Bolin gave her two thumbs up and a nervous smile. "You're doin' great," he whispered as she walked past him.

"And there's a very simple reason for that. It's because there's no place I'd rather be…" She walked directly in front of the spirit portal and pointed her index finger toward the sky."...than _REPUBLIC CITY!"_

* * *

><p>"...<em>t<em>_here's no place I'd rather be than REPUBLIC CITY!"_

Lin couldn't stop herself from grinning up at the stage. She had just won _so many yuans. _In all the chaos of their lives, those two kids actually, _finally, _found one another. It was actually kind of touching, not that she cared that much about it. Still, it was nice to see that poor Sato girl actually catch a break for once. Fate really dealt her a cruel hand, but she supposed it wasn't as cruel as it could have been.

"Hey, Su," she said, nudging her younger sister. "Who's crazy now?"

Su huffed and crossed her arms. "I never said you were crazy! I just said I didn't like the idea of making a game out of other people's romantic lives!" She smoothed out her formal Zaofu dress. "I really don't see how that's so difficult to understand."

"It's not, and it's adorable that you think you can lie to me."

"I'm _not lying."_

"Really, then why did your pulse shoot up the second they fell onto the stage?"

Su glared at Lin. "Because I was happy for them! Okay?! Is that what you want to hear?! That I'm _glad _that something good came out of all of this?!"

Lin smiled. "Yeah, basically."

"You're impossible!"

"No, just your older, wiser, sister."

"Older, yes. Not sure about that wisdom you're talking about."

"Last time I checked, _I _wasn't the one who raised a surrogate daughter who ended up being a tyrannical dictator," said Lin, smirking.

Su fell silent and bowed her head. "...that was _low, _Lin."

Lin patted her on the back. "She's still _alive_, and in lock-up. So is Junior. You're going to have to deal with them eventually. Can't just sweep it under the rug. This is your chance to prove, once and for all, that you're a better mother than mom ever was."

"I suppose you're right..."

"See? Wiser."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

><p>Korra continued to walk back and forth across the stage, because really that's all she could think of doing. "This city is my home. It's Bolin's home. It's Asami's home. It's <em>everyone's <em>home, because that is exactly the kind of place the United Republic is supposed to be! We have people of every culture, every nation, and now even _spirits _all gathered here tonight to-"

"Benefit concert. Charity. Expanding the city," Bolin whispered while passing off a stack of note cards into her hands. "Use these."

"-hear some of our great city's best musicians, so we can rebuild and expand! Stronger and better than ever! How amazing is that? In four years, we've survived three massive attacks on our city! The first were the Equalists, and the bloodbender Amon. And you know what? We beat him, and the non-benders of this city have equal representation in our government!"

_That _got them going. Most of them were non-benders, of course. Korra quickly scanned through the cards Bolin handed her. Oh! It was a speech! Okay, fantastic, she could work with that.

If she just acted like Bolin, and talked like Bolin, and inspired like Bolin, everything would turn out all right.

"And who could forget that time I fought the giant dark spirit monster in the bay! How awesome was that?!"

"Yes, we got the spirit vines as a result, but we also got the spirit wilds. And for the first time in ten thousand years, humans and spirits, just as they are right at this very moment, live together in peace and harmony. Can any other city claim that? No, they can't, because we're just that good. But, despite how wonderful the wilds were, and have become, they were a great burden on many citizens. Thousands lost their homes and businesses..."

Korra could not _believe _how well her accidental surprise appearance was going. She was nailing it!

Well, Bolin's speech was nailing it. She was just delivering it. Mostly.

"...Water mains were destroyed, power lines were severed, roads were utterly torn to pieces...but you know what? It didn't stay that way for long. And does anyone remember, who the person responsible for this city's reconstruction is? I'll give you a hint. She's on the stage, right now beside me."

And then something truly amazing happened. The crowd started cheering, but not just yelling or whooping or random other things. They were chanting "Sato" at the top of their lungs. Over and over again. Korra was speechless. She looked over at Asami, who was bathed in the light of the portal. Tears were pouring out of her eyes, but she wasn't sobbing. She was smiling as wide as she'd ever seen.

Asami is Noodles. And she was the hot water. Instant Noodles.

They...they could _actually do it. _If she played this just right...

"That's right! Our city's _savior! _When no one else picked up the slack, Future Industries was there. When the city tried to destroy the wilds, Future Industries was there! When half of us suffered from rolling blackouts and a total lack of running water, Future Industries was there! When so many of you were forced out of your homes and no place to go, Future Industries was there! There for me! There for you! There for _us!"_

* * *

><p>"<em>...Future Industries was there! When so many of you were forced out of your homes and no place to go, Future Industries was there! There for me! There for you! There for us!"<em>

Mako stared blankly at the stage. Okay. Calm down. He sort of saw this coming. He never thought either of them would actually _go through with it, _but there it was. He was watching both of his ex-girlfriends on stage, after having fallen out of the spirit portal. Shiro Shinobi was mostly right about them being in a 'compromising position'. More like 'almost caught in the act', in his opinion. It didn't take super human eyes to notice that Asami's jacket was _slightly _undone. He'd known her too long to think she'd overlooked something as important as that.

He looked over at Opal, who was _grinning _and doing that thing that Bolin did when he met famous people. Really over enthusiastic to the point where it was sort of uncomfortable. Seriously? Mako sighed. "Opal, hey, so Bolin was telling me about this plan you had..."

"About getting you back into the dating game? Oh, we're going to work _twice _as hard on that one now," she chuckled. "I'm sorry! This must be really awkward!"

"No, not really. It was a...long time ago," he lied, totally convincingly.

"Uh huh. Bolin knows you still have feelings for her."

Or not.

"Unfortunately, you're going to have to be more specific."

"Korra."

"Right. Well. They're just hard to get rid of."

"_...The people! Asami Sato sacrificed nearly everything to save this city, because she was there for us. Not because she needed to be, but because she wanted to. And I bet you all are wondering how she plans to save us one more time."_

Opal gave him a tight hug. "Which is _exactly _why we're helping you through this."

Mako raised a brow and smiled. "By throwing as many women at me as possible until one sticks?"

"That's Bolin's idea. Mine's a little more..._nuanced."_

"Most things are-" Opal smacked him on the back of his head. "Hey! Ow!"

"That's your brother and my boyfriend you're talking about. Don't insult him like that! He's not dumb!"

"He was my brother first, and I never said he was! I was just making a joke!"

Opal pouted and turned back toward the stage. "Whatever. Be thankful I'm in love with your brother, or I'd have airbent you a few stories into the air."

"Yeah. Thanks."

* * *

><p>"Asami Sato sacrificed nearly everything to save this city, because she was there for us. Not because she needed to be, but because she <em>wanted <em>to. And I bet you all are wondering how she plans to save us _one more time."_

Korra offered Asami the microphone. "You deserve this," she whispered, covering the mic with her hand. "More than anyone."

Asami nodded and took it. "Thank you." She straightened her posture and put on that face she typically reserved for public functions. "I have rebuilt this city once before. It was a labor of love, blood, sweat and tears. It took three years of long nights, more than four hundred million yuans, and the passion to see it through. I have done it once, and you have my solemn vow that I _will _rebuild our city again, bigger and stronger than it was before! And I will stop at nothing to ensure that we will never suffer like this ever again. Thank you all for your faith and support. It means the world to me to know that the city I love knows how much I care. How much Future Industries cares. Because it's not _my _future I'm looking out for. It's _yours._"

Asami silently handed the microphone back to Korra and walked off the stage. There was more applause than Korra knew what to do with. She had this in the bag.

"Well, I'm convinced. But, you know, she's not the only hero here tonight. No, I'm not talking about myself, or even Bolin here. I'm talking about _you. _When Kuvira came knocking at our door, each and everyone of you _trusted _me and those who stood beside me to take her down. It was your bravery, your strength to acknowledge that the only way we could win was by knowing that our friends, family and loved ones were safe that truly won the day. So, tonight, when you listen to all of these fantastic bands and artists, I want you all to think about everything this city has been through. All that we've endured together. I want you to donate as much you're able, because it is only by working _together _that can we make the dream this city was founded upon a reality."

She had them _captivated. _It was crazy. Bolin. Bolin had them captivated-oh, to heck with that. She'd gone off book a while a go. Cards? Just a base. It was all her...except it wasn't because shed just run out of things to say _oh wait Iroh said that thing!_

"A dream of a better world. A world where benders, and non-benders are not thought of as separate people. Where it doesn't matter where you're from, because as long as you have a good heart, you will be welcomed with open arms. This is not just Lord Zuko's dream. It is not just Avatar Aang's dream. It is not just my dream. It's all of us. It's _our _dream. Can any of you, any single person, honestly say that they don't want to live in a world like that? Go on, speak up."

The crowd was silent.

"Exactly. When we get right down to it, all of us truly believes in that dream. But it doesn't _have _to be a dream anymore. The world is ready. I can feel it. As I've said, we have spirits and humans living side by side. We have those of Fire Nation descent marrying those from the Earth Kingdom and creating a family together. Not even a hundred years ago, that would have been considered _completely impossible. _Now, though? It happens all the time. It's pretty common. If we truly work together, and support each other as much as ourselves, we can make Republic City the _shining beacon of peace and balance for both worlds!_ We can be the city that sets an example for every nation! We can become more than we are, and we all know it. We have proven, time and time again, that there is _absolutely nothing _in this world or the next that can _keep us down. _Because we _are _Republic City, and we can do anything that we set our minds to. Thank you, and enjoy the show!"

Korra felt like her eardrums might explode from the sheer _volume _of their response. It actually felt like it was giving her a migraine. Somehow. She handed Bolin the microphone. "I owe you _so many noodles,_" she whispered, exhausted. She handed him his cards. "Thank you so much."

Bolin only smiled and got back to doing his job. 'WOW! What a speech! I mean that is really moving, emotional stuff. Makes you feel. Makes you _think_. All right, now put your hands together for our opening act, the one, the only _Tahno and the Formerrrrrrrrrrrrrrs! _Featuring their new lead singer, the _artist formerly known as Prince Wu!"_

Korra's eyes widened as...Hasook, Tahno, Ming, Shaozu, Lu, Gang, an old man, and Wu ascended the stairs and onto the stage. The _wedding band?! _She stepped aside to allow them to pass.

"Hasook."

"Hey."

"Tahno."

"Uhvatar."

"Ming."

"Avatar."

"Shaozu."

"_Ferret."_

"Lu"

"Ma'am."

"Gang."

"Miss."

"Wu…"

"Korra."

That was most likely the single oddest exchange of names she would ever experience. Hasook? _Hasook?! _At least Wu didn't try to hit on her again. She walked off the stage and was immediately pulled into the shadows behind Shiro Shinobi's booth. "Ah!" She was pinned against the wall and kissed _veeeeeeeerrry deeply _okay it was Asami. No mistaking that. At all.

"Korra," she whispered. "That was the single greatest and _most embarrassing thing _that has ever happened to me." She chuckled and buried her face in Korra's shoulder. "And you! You were amazing up there. How did you come up with that? You just talked an entire city into...everything we're fighting for." she asked, her eyes bright again.

"Oh, I don't...know if they'll feel the same way in the morning." Korra shrugged awkwardly. Behind her, she could hear the...rather good vocals of Wu and the tune of some song she'd never heard. Huh. Imagine that. "I just sort of imagined what Bolin would say and kept talking until it made sense. He also gave me a bunch of cards with speech notes written on them, so...I went off of those. More or less."

Asami smiled wide. "You quoted Iroh, too. I'm sure that helped."

"I also quoted you. Sort of. Mind if I take my pack off?"

"Oh, sure."

Korra wiggled out of her pack and set it beside Asami's on the ground.

Asami took her hands. "...you saw the film crews, right?"

"Yes."

"They're going to show that in every mover theater in the world."

"They almost definitely will."

"I'm...strangely okay with this."

Korra raised a brow. "Seriously?"

"I am. Think about it. Our lives have _never _been stable, and we were going to tell everyone eventually, and then the media would have picked up on it. And, honestly, Korra. How long have _either _of us been able to stay out of the news? A day? A few hours? But this…" She laughed. "...this is probably the best way it could have happened. Not only is it immortalized on film, it's humanizing, but we were able to pick ourselves back up and actually _make something out of it_." She shrugged. "Well, you did anyway."

"Asami, they were _screaming _your name louder than they were cheering for me. Don't even consider selling yourself short." She tucked a few strands of black hair behind her ear. _How was her hair always so perfect?! _"_That _part is also on film. Forever. I'm getting a copy of that, and I'm going to hang it up in your office."

"I'd like that."

"Had a feeling."

"Have any others?"

"Yes. I am _starving._"

"Okay. I'm not really in the mood to go out to eat. Not after that rather interesting public display of, well, everything. Most places are probably closed for the concert, anyway." Asami chortled. "We might just want to head back to your place. "

"...it'd be pretty empty with everyone at the concert…"

Asami winked. "Exactly."

Korra blushed and giggled. "You are _very _clever."

"I'm well aware. Let's get going."

* * *

><p>Korra kept one pace ahead of Asami, keeping their water bubble intact with small, controlled motions. Taking the ferry to Air Temple Island would have taken too long, so she decided they should just walk to it. From the bottom of Yue Bay, obviously. That was, of course, after Asami made it very clear that she did <em>not <em>want to be carried while she flew via firebending.

Asami insisted on using a flashlight instead of letting her use firebending as a light, so she could focus on just the one element. Which made sense, she supposed. It certainly seemed to make her feel more comfortable when she had some form of control over the situation.

Korra would have to remember that.

"...but, the only way to beat Vaatu was if Raava and Wan fused together. So, they used the enhanced spirit energy of Harmonic Convergence to do just that. That was the moment that Wan became the first Avatar. Then, he sealed Vaatu away in the Tree of Time for ten thousand years. The rest is history," she smiled sadly. History. Ten thousand years of history. _Gone. _"I can't believe I never bothered to tell you that story before. It's sort of like an epic."

Asami shrugged. "Honestly, I wasn't that curious about it until you started telling me what Raava was saying. By the way, is it a she? You keep referring to her as a woman, but Raava is a spirit. Do they have genders?"

Korra furrows her brows. "Raava says...that it depends on the spirit. Some have a gender. Some do not. Raava, apparently after ten thousand years of being bonded to humans, is pretty sure she's a woman. Apparently we're typically better Avatars? Or something? Vaatu sounded like a man, so I guess that makes sense."

"Oh. What does she sound like?"

"...a confident and nurturing woman. Who is sometimes very cranky." She chuckled. "It's hard to describe a voice you only hear in your own head."

Asami scratched her chin and looked around the blackness of the bay with her flashlight. "I wonder if she could talk through you. If she could then...hm..."

"Why do you want to hear her voice so badly?"

"I just feel like it's important."

Korra hummed in thought. "Raava says she's flattered, and that, yes, she can talk through me. It's just that it'll feel...weird for me? Wait, weird how?"

"Are you asking me or….?"

"No, her." She shook her head. "I don't see why I can't just meditate into the spirit world and have you take over for two minutes. You never thought of that? Really? Wow, no wonder most Avatars didn't know you so well. They couldn't hear you at all."

Asami laughed. "You sound like you're talking to yourself. And _arguing."_

Korra gave her a crooked grin. "I basically am. Sort of. So, we'll try that thing out when we get back on land. Also after we eat." She snapped her fingers with her free hand. "Oh! I once met a two headed frog spirit that married itself! One head was a man, the other a woman!"

"That's…"

"Mysterious?"

"Certainly one way to put it. I didn't know spirits could get married. Or wanted to."

"They probably picked up the idea from humans and liked it so much they started doing it themselves."

"This is just...a lot for me to wrap my head around. I didn't grow up with this."

"Asami, neither did I. I've been taking a crash course in 'being spiritual' for just about as long as I've known you. Being the Avatar helps, but this is the kind of thing you have to seek out in order to fully understand it. Like, engineering, I guess."

Asami smirked. "There are _a lot _of different kinds of engineering, Korra."

"See? That's exactly what I'm saying. It's not like all of that stuff came naturally to you."

"Well, no, not at first. I had to learn the basics, but after that…" She smiled. "I picked it all up pretty quick. Once you have the fundamentals, the rest doesn't seem so complicated."

"Same for spirit stuff. Sort of. I'm a _really _fast learner, so that probably sped things along. You should have seen the face on my firebending teacher when I showed him I could shoot fire out of my mouth. That's not really a technique a fifteen year old girl should know."

Asami snickered. "My dad had a similar reaction when I built a satomobile out of scraps in the garage. I turned it on, and it sounded _terrible, _but it worked. I drove that around the course at…" She laughed, clutching her stomach. "Twenty miles an hour. It couldn't go any faster, but it didn't bother me back then. I was just so proud of it, because I made it."

"I remember that one. You showed it to me in the Tree of Time." Korra slowed the water bubble as they emerged from the bay and onto the island, allowing it to collapse around them. "The only things I've ever made were Naga's saddle and my clothes."

Asami flicked off her flashlight. "You know, traveling underwater isn't nearly as bad as I remember it being." She wrinkled her nose. "Wait, you make your own clothes?"

"Yeah. Did...you not know that? It's a water tribe thing. Only the very young and the very old have clothes made for them. Traditionally, at least. There's no way Varrick makes his own clothes. Well, he might _own his own clothing line, _but that's hardly the same thing."

"Korra, you have almost _impeccable _fashion sense. It's the perfect unity of aesthetic and practicality. That's genuinely amazing."

"Uh, thanks. Pretty sure you're in the minority with that opinion, though." She chuckled. "Let's just say that in the south pole, sleeveless tops aren't so common." Her stomach _roared. _"Wow, okay. I could eat an entire ostrich horse."

"Somehow, I don't think you're exaggerating."

"Well, yeah. I've actually done that before. Not raw, though, that's gross." She started sprinting up toward the temple grounds. "Come on! The White Lotus normally keeps meat in their quarters!"

"Oh, good. I need to take a break from instant noodles for a while. Literal ones, not metaphorical ones." Asami took off behind her. "How often do you take their food?"

"...all the time."

Asami, with her longer legs, caught up to her and stayed in stride. "And that doesn't bother them?"

"Oh, it does. I just either blame it on Naga or point to my stomach."

Asami raised a brow. "That's really antagonistic, Korra."

Korra scoffed. "Yeah, well, they locked me up in a prison for twelve years and never told me _why. _The least they can do is give me some of their meat so I don't have to suffer as much on an _all vegetarian island._"

"...right. Sorry, I should know better than that."

"It's okay. I'm out now, aren't I?" she said with a big grin.

Asami smiled.

Korra slowed to a stop and motioned for Asami to as well. "Okay, be super quiet. The sentry quarters are right over there." She pointed toward an unassuming pagoda with the symbol of the white lotus on the door. "I'll unlock the door with metalbending and then-"

The door swung open and one of the sentries tossed a box at her. "Will you just let us sleep for once?! Here! Take it and go!" The door slammed shut.

Korra caught the box and raised a brow. "Huh." She opened it and grinned at what she found. A box _filled _with fresh, steaming dumplings. She had to stop herself from drooling. "Ooh! I think these are tiger-seal dumplings!"

Asami frowned. "Aren't you going to thank them?"

"Again. Prison, so, no." She popped a dumpling in her mouth and grinned as she chewed it. "These are _great_! Here, dig in."

Asami shrugged and, instead of taking typically smaller bites, actually shoved an entire dumpling in her mouth. "Thish ish fantashtic!"

Korra laughed and fell on to the grass. "You just-Do that again! Do it again! I want to see Asami Sato lose _all _of her poise in less than a second."

Asami swallowed and snorted. She sat down beside her and, with a sigh, did it again.

"That's awesome! I was actually worried you didn't have it in you."

"I was a child once, too, you know."

"Harsh."

Korra took another three minutes to finish off the entire box of dumplings. She placed the wooden box back on the doorstep of the white lotus quarters and, begrudgingly, gave it a small bow. "...thank you for your generosity," she said, through clenched teeth. "...jerks."

"Good enough." Asami grabbed her hand _very _forcefully. "Now, come on, I haven't had a proper shower in _two weeks_. I don't even think the spirit water was cleaning us half the time." Korra was pulled to the women's dormitories and practically shoved into her room. "Undress. Find a robe. Meet me in the shower." Asami slid her door shut.

Korra blinked at the closed door for a few moments. Meeting Raava was going to have to wait. She _did _smell pretty gross, now that she was paying attention….oh. Oh. _Oh._ Korra giggled with excitement as she went to change. She didn't feel the slightest bit of anxiety. She had a full stomach, she just gave the speech of a _lifetime, _helped Asami get her long overdue recognition, and everything...

Everything felt just the way it should be.

Perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>BOLIN IS THE MAN! I knew I wanted Korra and Asami to fall out of the portal, in a very compromising position, and straight into a benefit concert, but I didn't know how to really go about it, or actually make it a surprise. Then I remembered that Bolin would totally MC something like that, and the rest is history. I hope the Bolin section distracted you enough to forget what happened to Korra and Asami. That's also the reason why I left the venue for the concert a mystery until the last minute. Let me know if that worked!<strong>

**I stole Tahno's band name from somewhere on reddit. I can't remember where, but if you're that person and you're reading this, PM me and I'll give you credit. It's because every member of the band is a former something. Wolfbats, Fire Ferret, Council Paige, Detectives, Prince. I added Wu because the joke was just too perfect. He literally is the artist formerly known as Prince Wu. It was either that or the "T-Tones".**

**If you can find the Gurren Lagann reference in this chapter, you get all the internet cookies.**

**As always, feedback is very much appreciated. No matter how small, strange, random or scathing your thoughts are, I'd love to hear 'em! :)**


	4. Now With 40 Percent More Filling!

**Sorry for the delay. I was out of town and didn't have access to my notes. Typically, I don't do filler chapters, (even though this technically isn't one) but I felt there needed to be a breather between the previous three and what happens next. All of this content was actually originally going to be placed in the previous chapter, but it didn't fit because it would have screwed with the pacing. Enjoy, hopefully!**

**Bryke owns things, Viacom 'owns' them too**

**EDIT: Added another scene to make the transition from 'vacation' to 'reality' more fluid and organic.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 2 - Noodles**

**Section 4:**

**"Now With 40 Percent More Filling!"**

"...gave her _all of our dumplings?! _Lee, what's wrong with you?!" said a rather perturbed White Lotus sentry.

"She and that Sato girl were just going to take them anyway, and I wanted some peace and quiet," retorted another.

"You know, _this _is why people say the White Lotus has fallen so far, Lee. It's things like this. Exactly likes this!_"_

"Oh, because I value a proper sleep cycle?!"

Asami closed her eyes tighter and covered her head with a pillow. Too much noise for the morning. She really hoped she hadn't gotten used to sleeping in. She really wasn't the sort to take vacations that often. Or really ever. But those _boots, _they just kept walking around outside on the stone and it was driving her crazy.

"That's...not...augh! Just stop talking! Stop talking, and don't do anything stupid for the rest of the day."

And then they started _bickering. _At least with Mako and Bolin's family living in her estate, she could enjoy the comfort of a fully lived in home. People came and went. Family dinners. Outdoor Mover night, since Asami had yet to find a way to build an entire mover theater in her home. It honestly seemed a bit...excessive to her. Half the fun was _going _to the theater, at least she thought it was.

"You're just cranky because you didn't get enough sleep. Unlike me," said the man apparently known as Lee.

"...I hate you _so much."_

The White Lotus, however, were far too much like that wonderful second, or rather third family, that she'd grown so fond of. They were loud and unprofessional. What kind of sentry alerts everyone to their presence? That was just bad form. When she was still in school, her history books had described the White Lotus as a society of scholars who wanted to a greater understanding of the world, and for whom national background was irrelevant. They even played a pivotal role in ending the Hundred Year War. She had grown up thinking they were legends. Heroes, even. Role models.

Meeting Iroh was more of a dream come true than she'd ever be willing to admit.

In the present, they were people, just like everyone else. Sworn to a greater duty, yes, but they weren't all sages or gurus or masters of anything in particular. But then, if every single one of them was a legendary hero, Korra wouldn't have much of a job.

Job.

Oh, right. Work. Noodles. Wow. Now _she _was doing it, too!

Asami grumbled and shuffled in the bed. She removed the pillow from her head and ran her hands through her hair. Morning. First day back. She'll have to go back to work. As to what that was, exactly, she couldn't quite say. But she had some ideas, that was for sure. The trip to the Spirit World had certainly gotten the gears in her head turning.

She placed a soft kiss on Korra's shoulder and rubbed her leg. "Korra, it's morning."

"...morning…is evil..."

"Are you actually still asleep, or are you proclaiming that all mornings are evil?"

"Raava...says go back to bed." She groaned and cupped her hands over her ears. "Okay, okay! Geez, Raava, I get it! Why are you so mean? And how are you so _loud_?" Korra punched a pillow and pouted. "...spirit of order and balance and harmony my butt."

Asami snickered. "I don't think she likes it when you use her to lie."

"I don't think she likes _me _half the time."

"Then why would she have chosen you? That...that is how that works, right?"

"Sorta. Something to do with my inner spirit. The giant blue thing." Korra sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked so adorable with messy hair, sweat pants and a plain old top. "She doesn't have to like _me, _she just has to trust that I'll be a good Avatar." Korra yawned and arched her back. Oh she _knew _what she was doing. Right? She had to. Then again... "...this conversation is too deep for the morning. We can have it later."

Nope. She had no idea what she was doing. Oh well.

"So, I have to check in at the office today…."

Korra raised a brow. "I thought it blew up."

"It's one of the few buildings that _didn't. _Future Industries Tower is in perfect alignment with the portal, so it only looks like it's gone. You can't see it from Air Temple Island. It is, however, covered in quite a few vines."

"Oh, good. I'm glad your office didn't blow up."

Asami chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "Yes. I am also glad that my office didn't blow up." She threw off the covers and hopped up to her feet. "Come on, let's have breakfast before I have to go enter the corporate sector again and spend my day glaring holes into idiots."

Korra slowly got to her feet and rubbed her forehead with her palm. "Do you really do that all day?"

"Not always." Asami shrugged and moved to stand by the door. "Sometimes, yeah. Don't you kind of do that too, though?"

Korra followed her, her eyes half closed. "I don't know. Ask me tomorrow what my job is, and I'll let you know."

"Guess it is pretty dynamic, isn't it?" Asami smiled. "Hey, today's gonna go great."

Korra perked up a little. "Heh. Yeah. You're probably-" She winced and jumped backward. "_Wait did last night actually happen or did I dream that?!"_

Asami slowly narrowed her eyes. "...which part are you talking about? The concert, or the shower?"

"Uhm. Both? Wait..."

"You didn't dream those things. They actually happened."

"Right, because you...couldn't have known about both things…" Korra covered her face with her hands and scratched her nails all the way to the back of her head. "Okay. Okay. Let's just...let's just play it cool. World wide things like that happen to _everybody-"_

"No, they don't."

Korra deflated. "No they don't."

Asami pursed her lips and bowed her head. "Let's just start the day, okay? We won't know if everything is terrible until it actually _becomes _terrible."

Korra scratched behind her ear and yawned. How was she so cute. It shouldn't be possible to be that cute._ "_You're right, you're right. I'd say I don't know how you stay so positive, but…" She grinned. "I kinda do."

"Mhmm." Asami slid the door open and pressed her bare feet into the rustic halls of the air temple. They were always so smooth and well preserved, especially considering how the temple was getting on in its years. It was mostly likely the oldest building still standing in Republic City, now that she thought about it. "Isn't it normally louder at this hour? With Tenzin's kids and the rest of the airbenders?"

Korra walked past her, toward the kitchen. "Typically. They can be pretty sneaky—AUGH!"

From out of _nowhere, _Meelo, Ikki and Jinora came literally flying down the hall, tackling Korra to the ground. The three of them gave her a big, family-sized hug.

"KORRA!"

Korra hugged them back and smiled. "Hey! How are you guys?" How she was so naturally good with kids, Asami would never know. Children...Asami didn't know what to do with children. They were just so _foreign, _and...how was she supposed to talk to them? Down? With respect?

"I'm holding in my farts, just like you said!"

"I'm practicing ancient Air Nomad traditions by taking Jinora's stuff!"

"And _I'm _trying to stop Ikki from abusing those traditions."

Asami didn't know what to do, or think, or say, so she simply stood off to the side and tried to look supportive and not uncomfortable at all. She could spend the time to mentally prepare herself for the day ahead, but that would be rude to Korra and Tenzin's family. She was a guest in their home and they deserved her full attention.

Even if she was absurdly hungry and just wanted to spend a little more time with Korra before life took hold of them both once again.

Korra laughed and could only smile more. "Meelo, good job. Your commanding officer is proud of you. Ikki, even if it is an ancient tradition, that was still pretty mean. You should apologize and give Jinora her stuff back."

"But-"

"No buts. That goes double for you, Meelo."

"Why is _everything always about my butt?"_

"Oh, fine." Ikki frowned and gave Jinora a book. "Sorry. I promise I didn't read any of it."

Jinora sighed and held the book close to her chest. "Apology accepted."

"How did you-I couldn't-that doesn't make any sense!"

Asami spun around to find Tenzin, who had somehow snuck up on her. Since when were airbenders so stealthy?

Tenzin stood over the four on the floor. He rubbed his hands over his face so many times Asami thought the friction might set his skin on fire. "I've been trying to get them to calm down since last night and you did it thirty seconds."

"Beats me." Korra shrugged. "At one point, I was technically their grandfather so...maybe some of that rubbed off on me."

Asami helped Korra up to her feet, disentangling her from the children. "Or you could just be really good with kids."

"Thanks, but it just sort of comes naturally to me."

"Like pulling entire city swaying speeches out of nowhere?"

"Okay, that was mostly Bolin, and you know that."

Tenzin clapped Korra on the shoulder. "Whatever the source, it was a beautiful speech, Korra. There's no doubt in my mind that it won over a great deal of the city." He furrowed his brows and looked between her and Asami. Several times. "...oh, I didn't expect...Asami, how did you get here so early? The next ferry isn't for another hour."

Asami tossed her hair slightly. She'd need to get it cut and touched up soon, or it'd get too long to manage. "I spent the night, actually. I hope that's not too much trouble." Surely he must have put things together, right? _Right? _Tenzin was a perceptive man, and very intelligent so she...shouldn't...have to spell all of that out.

"Korra." Tenzin's eyes bugged out of his head. "Does this mean what I think it does?_"_

Oh no...

Korra pulled her head back and smiled nervously. "...maybe?"

Tenzin's face turned so red that she swore she saw air burst from his ears. "Korra, my _daughters live on this side of the temple!"_

"W-wait, Tenzin I think you've got the wrong idea."

"Oh no, no I don't think so at all."

Asami raised her brows and backed away a few steps, only to bump into Kai. She wrinkled her nose and looked around the hallway. How were they so quiet?! Was she going deaf? It was seriously getting crowded. She gave him a friendly, yet anxious, smile and a small wave.

Kai returned the same gesture. "...so why are we all clogging the-"

Tenzin huffed and was nearly yelling. "No _wonder _Jinora matured so quickly! She saw you exploiting the same-gendered dormitories and started getting ideas of her own! Why else would she would she want to spend so much time with...with Kai!? There's no other explanation!"

Kai clenched his eyes shut and looked like he was trying to slide away. Except he didn't have enough room to do that, so he simply stayed put, very obviously uncomfortable. "Oh. That's why," he mumbled.

"Hey!" Jinora glared at her father. "Since when is this about me?! Or Kai!? I don't even know what we're talking about!"

Kai looked between everyone. "I feel like I shouldn't be here for this."

Asami rubbed her eyes. "...yeah, I'm thinking I shouldn't be here, either."

"No, you have every right to be here. Both of you. Let me just clear this up." Korra pinched her brow. "Okay. Tenzin. First, no that never happened. Second, even if I did do that, which I _didn't_, that wouldn't have made a difference. You let Jinora read…" She snatched the book Jinora was carrying out of her hands and displayed it to Tenzin. "...trashy romance novels! Have you ever _read _these?! What did you think would happen?! She's a teenager!" She returned the book. "And she's more mature at fourteen than I was at seventeen. Take some pride in that. She has a boyfriend, and he's a really good kid! Why are you trying to make that a bad thing?"

Kai smiled. "Thanks, Korra."

"Don't mention it."

Jinora stood up beside Korra. "What is your problem with him? Why can't you just be happy for me?"

Pema groaned and came stomping down the hallway toward Tenzin. Perhaps Asami didn't remember the mornings at Air Temple Island as well as she thought, because it all seemed completely insane. Then again, Mako and Bolin's family fought a lot, and there were quite a few of them. But none of that explained why everyone had chosen _that very moment _to congregate in the hallway, blocking any and all forms of escape.

Pema slapped Tenzin on the back of the head, the loud snap echoing through the hall. She frowned at him, hands on her hips. "Tenzin! Get a hold of yourself. You _do _remember how young I was when we got married, right?" She sighed and kissed him on the cheek. "Your daughter isn't in danger. Kai is a very sweet young man. They make a cute couple. I've been trying to explain this to you for _three years and I am tired of it not sinking in."_

Tenzin blinked and re-centered himself. "Well. I suppose that settles that, then." He cleared his throat and looked at Korra. "I apologize for attempting to blame the two of you for...you know, it's not really a conversation that should be had at the moment."

Asami held out her palm in a placating gesture. She smiled nervously. An angry father acting as a mother sabertooth mooselion was something she was all too familiar with. And it could be _terrifying _at times. "It's all right, Tenzin."

Korra pouted. "Yeah. It's okay. Just don't...make a habit of it, I guess."

He nodded. "I won't."

Pema clapped her hands together. "Yay! Now that we're all in a good mood, who wants breakfast?"

The door next to Asami burst open with frightening enthusiasm. She leaped backwards with a yelp and fell onto Korra, knocking the both of them onto the ground.

Bolin and Opal, dressed in nearly identical white tops and boxer shorts, were grinning from ear to ear as they hopped out of the airbender's room. "We do! We do! We do!" they said in unison, bouncing on their heels. Sometimes, it was insane how well those two fit together.

And, again, what was so enthralling about the hallway? Why was everyone there? It was ridiculous! Not to mention embarrassing, she thought. Well, not compared to the events the evening before, at least. So that was something. Not much, but something.

Bolin grinned as he looked between Korra, Asami and Opal. "Haha, well. Small Air Temple, am I right?" He gave the both of them two thumbs up, and Opal was nearly vibrating with giddiness. That was...sort of creepy. "Yeah, this is gonna be a _fun_ conversation, I can tell."

Tenzin huffed and herded his family off toward the kitchen. "Come on, kids, let's go help your mother with breakfast." They left in a very chaotic form of a line, and she was pretty sure she heard Meelo farting halfway down the hall. Kai tried to leave with them, but Bolin grabbed his shoulder. Kai shoved a wad of yuans in Bolin's face before stomping off.

Once they'd rounded the corner, Korra picked up Bolin in an impossibly strong hug. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you _thank you _THANK YOU!" She laughed and set him down. "Bolin, you saved our butts out there! I was this close to picking Asami up and running back through the portal."

Asami smiled. "Seriously, thank you. I...would not have heard what the city thought of me if not for you. I think you have a pretty good idea of how much it meant for me to hear."

Bolin shrugged, like it wasn't that big a deal because of course it wasn't. Not for Bolin. "Hey, don't mention it. I just thought that the both of you had butts worth saving. You know I've always got your back." He clapped his hands together. "C'mon, tell us the good news! No, but really, tell us because Opal might...pop if you don't. I really don't know how to react to her reacting to you."

Opal giggled extensively. "_They're just so _perfect _together. _Look at them! They're gorgeous!"

Bolin raised a brow and looked at Opal. "Uhhh, yeah, honey, I've known them for a while now. I'm pretty sure I know how pretty my friends are." He looked back toward Asami. "Please, just tell her. This can't be healthy."

Asami sighed and shook her head with a smile. "Oh, all right. Korra and I are together. In a romantic context."

Korra gave her a bemused look. "...really? That's what you're going to call it? A 'romantic context'?"

"We haven't even had that discussion yet."

"What's there to discuss? I thought we were a couple."

"Well, we are. But, there's a lot of different ways to phrase that-"

Korra groaned. "Asami, I seriously don't care what you want to call us as long as it's not something lame like 'together in a romantic context', okay? Just pick something."

Asami snickered. It would be that simple for Korra, and in all honesty it was refreshing to have something be so...simple, for once. "Okay, okay. We're girlfriends."

Before Korra could even respond, Opal flapped her arms around with a massive grin. "YES!" Opal made a noise that was a cross between a squeal and a shriek and was essentially bouncing off the walls with excitement. "Tell us everything! Every detail! _Everything_!"

Bolin quickly snatched Opal back and held her in place by the shoulders. "Please. She's been talking about this nearly the entire night."

"I have a ferry to catch in a little less than an hour, so, I don't think we have enough time for that. Then again..." Asami shrugged and pulled Korra into an extremely exaggerated passionate kiss, even going so far as to dip her entire body. Korra yelped into her mouth before getting _way _too into it, so Asami had to cut it short, lest she get airbent right back into the bedroom. She propped Korra back up onto her feet and smoothed out her hair. "That would be a mostly accurate summation of what you wanted to know, Opal."

Korra giggled and her entire head turned read. "...still too good at that..." She swayed a little, clearly dazed. "Yeah, so, there we go. We good?"

Opal wrapped them both in a crushing hug and twirled with a little airbending. "This is amazing! The both of you are amazing! We _have _to go on a double date! It'd be so much fun, wouldn't it Bolin, of course it would, because you two are just so _perfect."_

Asami exchanged a slightly anxious look with Korra. "Uhm. Sure, if I can free up time in my schedule, I don't see why not."

Korra bit her lip and tossed Opal back at Bolin, who caught her. "But only if she promises to stop...drooling all over us. Seriously, Opal, you got _drool _on my shirt."

"That's nothing. You should have seen her last night," said Mako, poking his head out from his room. "She was acting like a big group of Bolin's old fan girls when she saw the both of you, uh, appear." He ran his fingers through his scruffy, now _correctly _styled hair, and walked over to Bolin. "You two...certainly know how to make an entrance."

Asami smiled at him. She'd been a little worried how he'd feel, and was very much pleased that he was...well, happy. Or at least, not awkward about it. "I've had lots of practice. We both have. Your hair looks _great, _by the way. I didn't want to say anything but-"

Korra grinned. "You looked like General Iroh! It was _so weird."_

Mako chortled. "Yeah. Bolin said the same thing. Speaking of my little brother..." He turned to Bolin, who was now holding up a very...bubbly Opal. Maybe she was drunk. "...you're going to tell them about the pot sooner or later, because they're going to ask why I can't afford anything all of a sudden."

Asami raised a brow. "Wait, what?"

"...did Wu not pay you or something?" asked Korra.

"Gambling." Bolin laughed. "It was Lin's idea. She saw you two hanging out while we were in Zaofu, and decided that you were in love with one another basically on the spot. Next thing you know, we've got fifty-thousand yuans in a betting pool. Y'know, if you guys would actually end up together or not." He shrugged. "I, for the record, bet in favor of you two. Mako...did not."

Mako rolled his eyes. "I was betting that it _wouldn't happen, _not that it _shouldn't_ or that I didn't want it to. Come on, you're making me sound like a jerk."

Korra poked her index fingers together. "Who...else was in on this?"

Opal perked up. "Well, there was me, Bolin, Mako, Lin, Kai, Bumi, Kya, your cousins, Pema, Wing, Wei..."

Asami's waved her off. "Okay, I think we get the idea. Look, I've got about forty-five minutes before this vacation ends, so why don't we go get some breakfast? Get everything back on track," she said smiling. She truly, truly did want everything to go back to how they mostly were. Her group of stable friends, her surrogate family, her _other _surrogate family, her company and now...Korra. "After everything that's happened, I'd love if it we were all able to spend some time together. Just the fo-" She glanced at Opal. Well. Water, Earth, Fire, herself, and now Air. "Five of us. Team Avatar."

Mako raised a brow. "Opal's part of Team Avatar?"

Opal blew his hair back with a bit of playful airbending. "You guys didn't have a dedicated airbender. It's sort of necessary. Four elements? And the genius?"

Korra shrugged. "Yeah, that's how it worked with Aang." She furrowed her brow. "...wait, no, they had two non-benders. A Kyoshi Warrior."

Asami cracked her neck. "I think I more than fulfill both requirements."

"Oh, absolutely."

Mako smiled. "Can't argue with that. Okay. Fire, lightning..." He gestured to Bolin and Korra. "Earth, lava, metal..." He turned to Opal, and then back to Korra. "Air, water, spirit, healing, and, uhhhh..." Mako glanced at Asami, clearly fumbling at his words.

That was okay. Asami already had it in the bag.

Asami smirked and flexed her fingers in front of her face. "Fist." She tapped her forehead. "Innovation."

"Modern."

"That's the idea."

* * *

><p>Asami looked up from her notebook as Korra sat down next to her on the ferry, just as it left the docks. "Oh. Hey."<p>

"Hey," she said, slouching slightly. "So, we should probably talk before your day actually starts. And we...start, I guess."

"Korra, this is a twenty minute ferry. Then it's another ten for the taxi, and five to get up to my office. I don't mean to be dismissive, but is half an hour enough time?"

"I don't know. I have to try, though, because I'm going to be a nervous wreck if I don't," she chuckled awkwardly.

Asami smiled a little. "Last night was...eventful."

"Yup. Are you still okay with that?"

"The movers?"

"Yeah. Also the other thing."

"How could I possibly have a problem with that? I mean, you were very insistent on the bed instead of the shower, which was fine, really, but...maybe in the future tell me in advance before things get too...heated."

Korra bit her lip. "I'll keep that in mind."

"The movers, though...well, it's not ideal, and now that I'm not all giddy from the excitement and applause, it's starting to feel more than a little scary. And uncomfortable." She cleared her throat. "Your parents are going to see that."

Korra blushed. "...I did not consider that."

'That's not going to be a problem, right? I assumed it wouldn't be, but-"

Korra shook her head. "No, no, that's...it would have maybe been a problem fifty years ago when there were still population concerns, or if I was from the Northern Tribe, but no, we're good. Honestly, my dad is probably going to want a copy, too." She laughed. "He'll show it to everybody and brag that, not only is his daughter the Avatar, but she managed to uh…"

Asami snickered. "Let me guess. Landed the most brilliant industrialist on the planet?"

"Basically? I mean, you are, obviously, but he'll probably use quite a few more complimentary words than just those. Give them a week and a half, and my parents will be showing up at the Air Temple with spine crushing hugs. The best kind of hugs, by the way."

Asami swallowed. "That quickly, huh?"

Korra winced. "Oh! Oh, no, that's not specifically why they'd be visiting! Also they already know you! Remember when you saved my dad's life? And helped with the Civil War? Yeah, trust me he remembers that. A lot."

Asami flattened her lips. "So do I. I had no idea how to fly a sky bison."

Korra's eyes widened. "Do not ever tell Tenzin that. You can, however, tell my dad that. He'd laugh himself silly."

"Are insane risks a water tribe thing? I feel like that it would be."

"Nah. If you're confident, it's not that big a risk. Learning by doing, though? Definitely a water tribe thing."

Asami chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I get the feeling you're not feeling very much of the first, but are very intent on doing the second. With us."

Korra smiled sadly. "Yeah. Pretty much. Sort of." She scratched the back of her head. "I'm not sure. That's sort of the problem. Over breakfast, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said, about us not having this conversation. What we are, to each other." She sighed. "We really haven't. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pressured you into just...saying that. That wasn't right."

Asami shrugged. "It's okay. I really thought that just saying we were together would make it feel that way, but...I think we both know that just saying something doesn't make it true."

"...are we together?"

"I still want to be, even after all of that insanity. Do you?"

"Yes. Absolutely. I want to see where this takes us, and not just because Iroh said it'd be a good idea."

Asami raised a brow. "That was...sort of an interesting thing to imply, wasn't it?"

"He's a romantic. I don't know why I know that, but more importantly, now that we're away from the memory trees and the colors and the reality bending flowers..." She took a deep breath. "I really do want this. I really, really do. I was seriously worried I was caught up in the romanticism of it all, you know like a-

"Trashy romance novel."

"Yeah. Exactly. But it's not. We're not. And that's...well, that's great, right?"

Asami smiled. "It is. It's really great."

"Great! I feel better now," she said, relieved.

"Me too."

"So, what are you doing for lunch?"

"I, uhm, actually have no idea. It's normally around 1:30, but I don't have my schedule yet, so it might be another time."

Korra hummed. "Okay, here's an idea. Since your schedule is so packed, and mine will probably more hectic than a hurricane-"

"If you're going to try and promise that we'll have lunch every single day at that specific time for as long as possible, you are either completely crazy or adorably accommodating."

Korra gave her a crooked grin. "Can't I be both? And yeah, that was the idea. How did you even know that?"

Asami smirked. "I guess I just know you that well."

* * *

><p><strong>Fun Fact: The two White Lotus sentries at the beginning are the same pair that gave Asami Korra's letter in "You Can't Fix Everything".<strong>

**Opal isn't necessarily meant to represent the fandom's reaction to Korrasami becoming Canon. I just thought it'd be hysterical if she did that because it highlighted just how great Bolin and Opal work together.**

**Mako listing off the elements is meant to be a reference to Sokka during "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King", with Asami replacing "Fan and Sword!" with "Fist and innovation." Also because nobody ever remembers Suki, and that makes me sorta sad.**

**Feedback is always appreciated! No matter how small, scathing, random or trivial your thoughts are, I'd love to hear 'em!**


	5. Seaweed

**Anyone familiar with deterrence theory and ****nuclear proliferation are in for a treat. Which should be most of you, God willing. That stuff is still relevant, people!**

**I also bumped the rating up to T, because doing a story involving that kind of thing is not only ridiculous but unrealistic. It's still at the very low side of T, though.**

**The title isn't actually a reference to seaweed noodles. It just worked out that way. It's supposed to be the codeword for "Spirit Vines", like how "yellow cake" is for Uranium.**

**Beta'd, FINALLY, by BSG-Legacy.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 3 - This M.A.D. World of Ours**

**Section 1:**

"**Seaweed"**

Asami looked out over Republic City's downtown district from the relative comfort of her office at the height of Future Industries Tower. After two months of cleanup efforts, which had been an economic boon for both herself and the entire construction industry, her city was finally starting to look like its old self. Sure, spirit vines were still firmly wrapped around anything, including a rather large one that had nested in through one of her full walled windows. No plans existed to attempt to remove them, and Asami truly hoped nobody was crazy enough to try _that _all over again.

Life had slowly but surely returned to the heart of Republic City. It was good to see traffic again far down in the streets below her, the little dotted satomobiles zipping in and out of lanes and through the freshly repaved and bended roads. Of course, not every street was finished yet, and the reconstruction effort was far from over. If she squinted, she could see a few earthbending crews working on alleys and side roads.

However, the biggest problem had yet to be overcome. Until today, she thought.

Asami glared down at the corpse of the fallen Colossus; unmoved since the Third Battle of Republic City. A fleet of RCPD airships and squad cars surrounded the area where it had finally fallen, no doubt keeping citizens and the press out of harm's way. Due to giant mecha's size and weight, and platinum lining, it was impossible for any amount of metalbenders to lift and move the pieces out of the city. Lucky for everyone, Asami had figured out an alternative solution.

Asami smiled as she watched a squadron of her second-generation dragonfly hummingbird suits fly past her building and toward the Colossus. The new designs were twice the size, and were superior in nearly every way. Faster, more maneuverable, and stronger. She had modified their orientation so that they were flown horizontally, like a biplane, and even added set of rotors to work in tandem with the larger set of wings. In fact, it was starting to look more like an ornate airplane rather than a mechasuit.

The hummingbirds hovered in formation above the fallen giant. They descended in unison and locked their landing gear onto the edges of the 'head' piece of the mecha-suit. A few moments later, little by little, the big eye sore was lifted into the air and above the skyline of the city. It flew right past her window, just as the flight path instructed.

She needed to be sure.

Asami heard something knock on her other window, the one with the spirit vine growing through it. She wrinkled her nose and turned around to find a very wind battered, crooked grinned Korra. Glider in one hand, takeout bag in the other. Asami laughed as she checked her watch. 1:30. Right on time. She smiled and slid the window open.

"Somebody order lunch?" said Korra.

"Delivery by airbender! Okay, I hadn't thought of that." Asami smiled and pulled her inside, taking the glider and bag from her hand. She gingerly placed the glider on her desk and the bag on her table. "Sorry I couldn't get out of the office for lunch today. I need to be on call in case something goes wrong with the relocation."

"It's no big deal. I understand how big a day this is, y'know, for everybody." Korra closed the window behind her and sat down on the spirit vine, her legs hanging out over the edge. "I actually came up with a fun little side bet we could start. Maybe add more people if they're interested. It's...sorta dark, though."

Asami raised a brow. "Dark? You? Gambling?"

"Yeah, yeah, but I don't know, this seemed kind of fun. Take the edge off." She looked over at Asami's desk and jabbed her thumb at the day's newspaper. "The Earth-Thing keeps changing names, really often, so I thought, hey, I should put some yuans down and guess what they'll finally choose. What do you think?"

"You just want to get back at people for that betting pool about _us, _don't you?" she teased. "You know very well that you'll have a good amount of influence over that final decision."

"No. Maybe. Fifty yuans on Federation."

"Fifty on Confederacy and twenty on Union." mused Asami. "I like to hedge my bets." She opened the bag and wafted the steam that rose out of it. It smelled of fresh noodles-_seriously Korra?_ "Narook's?"

Korra nodded, smiling. "Yup! It was a bit of a trek, but hey it's my lunch break." She shrugged. "Might as well, right?"

"Yeah." She handed Korra a warm sealed cup labeled 'tiger-seal, veggies, seaweed' in scratchy writing, and a pair of chopsticks. "I'm assuming this one is yours."

Korra took it and instantly began shoveling the food into her mouth. "Good guess!" she said with comically puffy cheeks.

Asami smiled and went to work on her own food, sitting down on top of her desk. It was nice to have a form of consistency in her life, even if it was just something as simple as lunch with her girlfriend. Everything else could explode, but nothing could stop lunch. Apparently. "How many more of these do we get? Before you have to go?" she asked thoughtfully.

Korra sighed. "I don't know. Not many. The United Forces are already mobilizing east, mostly scouting I think." She scratched the back of her head. "Think this might be the first time I _don't _want to get back into the action so quickly," she said, smirking. "We should probably talk to Bolin and Opal about getting long distance to work. I mean, they're _still _technically doing that."

"Good idea." Asami nodded tentatively. "They've certainly managed very well." She poked at her food. "Did you see the new hummingbirds?"

"Yeah! They look awesome! I had to dodge a couple on my way here, since you _also _invented air traffic. Sorta. They create a lot of wind, so it's hard to get around them." She chuckled awkwardly. "I almost crashed straight into somebody's office."

Asami raised her brows. "Oh." She quickly took a notepad and pen out of her pocket and jotted down a reminder to _fix that problem _before an airbender gets hurt, or worse. "...I'll be sure to fix that. Sorry."

"No, it's fine, really. There's no way you could have known that would be an issue."

"I don't think that would really hold up in court if somebody got hurt."

Korra crooked her lips to the side. "...oh. Right. I guess it's a good thing I'm not the kind to sue, right?" She grinned.

"You have _no idea. _Can you imagine what would happen if a non-bender's creation hurt an airbender? Everybody would start pointing and screaming 'equalist' all over again," she grumbled.

Korra hopped off of the vine and joined Asami on the desk, carefully moving a few stacks of papers to make room. "They wouldn't do that. It would be pretty terrible, but I don't think that argument would really...nobody would take it that seriously. Not after everything you've done, and hey, we've got proof of that!" She pointed to the film reel hanging above her executive chair. "Do I need to find your mover projector and fail miserably at trying to use it again?"

"No, that's all right." Asami chortled and managed a tiny smile. "I think half of the city's expansion budget was funded by that mover." Her eyes widened. "The fact that the words Varrick and philanthropy can be used in the same sentence is _baffling._"

Korra kissed her on the cheek. "People change."

"And they can change back, too."

Korra covered her hand with her own. "Hey, what's with the sudden burst of pessimism? Today's a big day, and a good one. At least, I think it is."

Asami shook her head. "You're not wrong, but I don't think I feel it. I thought I'd be more uncomfortable. Moving that thing," she said, gesturing out the window. The second piece of the Colossus was just lifting off of the ground, and it looked like the hummingbirds were having an easier time of it. "I'm just...calm. Like it's just another day."

"How is calm a bad thing?"

"Because it probably means I'm suppressing something."

Korra tilted her head and slurped a long noodle past her lips. "Yeah, okay, but maybe you're not." She rubbed her forearm. "Maybe it's because you don't blame the weapon, but the one who used it."

Asami nodded slowly. "You're probably right. It's just a tool. An empty shell."

"You're not...going to put it back together, right?"

Asami shook her head. "No, of course not. Raiko will _beg _me to, so will others, but that's not what's going to happen." She shoved some noodles into her mouth and chewed, continuing to speak. It was a bad habit, but she knew Korra found it impossibly adorable, so once in a while...well, why not? "It's a technological marvel, even if it was created for nothing but destruction. I'm willing to bet there's a lot we can learn from it, even in pieces."

Korra was staring off into space, and clearly distracted by something. "Hope it works."

"Korra, please stop wallowing in the fact that we'll be apart."

"That's...not it."

"Then what?"

"It's…" Korra avoided eye contact. Stubbornly. "It's nothing."

Asami narrowed her eyes. "Spit it out. You've got something on your mind, and it wants out of your mouth. I've got nothing but time while that mecha is moved, so let's hear it," she said, bluntly. Sometimes, Korra needed a swift punch to the emotional stomach to get her going. It was just how she operated.

Korra frowned and set her noodles down on the desk. "I, uh, I've been feeling really guilty about some stuff I haven't told you about. Or, I guess, showed you." She gestured to something invisible in the room. "Y'know, with the tree."

"Korra, we couldn't have shown one another _everything. _That would have taken over forty years. If you weren't ready to show me-"

"That's not the point. I said I'd give you the _whole _story, and I didn't. I lied."

Asami neatly resealed her noodles and placed them beside Korra's. She looked her over calmly. "You're not one to do that without a good reason."

Korra huffed and crossed her arms defiantly. "Okay, yeah, but I still lied. Which isn't okay."

"Korra, do you _want _me to be angry at you?"

"I...sort of? I don't know."

Asami gripped her girlfriend's forearm and found her eyes. "Look at me." She did. "It's probably not as bad as you think it is."

Korra winced. "I don't know, this is pretty bad. At least, it wasn't a good thing to leave out."

"Wanna know how to fix it?"

"How?"

"Talk about it."

Korra snorted. "Yeah, fine." She shifted uncomfortably and stared out the window. For around a minute, she just chewed her lip. Patience, ironically, was important to keep in mind around Korra. In some contexts, at least. "You're not the first person I've...been with intimately since I got hurt."

Asami raised her brows. "Oh. Three years is a long time, Korra. It's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. I saw other people when you were gone, too."

"That's not really what I mean." Korra shook her head. "There were more than a few."

"Korra…"

"_A lot._ I'm not…" She pursed her lips and looked away. "This isn't me bragging. I don't like that this happened. But it did. I just, it wasn't even for stress. Well, it was, but not exactly." She scowled at herself. "I'm not saying that I slept my way across the Earth Kingdom, but… I'm also not saying that I didn't."

Asami cleared her throat. "The Earth Kingdom is a big place."

"Yeah. It is. See what I mean?" She pinched her brow. "I mean, it was mostly women, since, aheh, much less risk of something going wrong," she blushed intensely and covered half of her face. "I don't like lying."

"Korra. It's okay. You were _hallucinating _half the time you were gone. I'd want to forget some of that, too. Or at least not think about it." Asami tried very hard not to smile, because it wasn't appropriate. "The women, though, that does actually explain quite a few things I was wondering about."

"Practice is practice, even if I don't remember most of their names. Or the nights at all."

"Did you just need a place to sleep?"

Korra shrugged. "Sometimes. Sometimes, just because." She grumbled and balled her hands into fists. "I just hate lying to you, since this...helped. First with the wheelchair, the nightmares, and then the flashbacks. And the other stuff. I could walk, but I couldn't _really _walk, and..." she trailed off.

Asami took Korra's fists and unfolded them, freeing her fingers. "If it helped you, then that's enough for me." She cocked a brow and looked to the side. "And to be perfectly honest, I sort of appreciate that you _did _leave that stuff out. That would have been really weird to watch."

Korra frowned. "I still lied-Ow!" Asami flicked her forehead. "What was that for?"

Asami smiled. "Woe is me. Cut that out, will you? Everything is fine. We're fine."

Korra blinked a few times and chortled into a smile. "Thanks. I feel better."

"I knew you would. Now, lunch?"

"Yes! Clean up earthbending has become _exhausting._"

* * *

><p>Korra took a deep breath and smoothed out the pavement of a particularly shattered street. The earth hummed beneath her boots, healing the scars and cracks in the ground with just a tad of grace. Eight hours a day. Six days a week. For two and a half months.<p>

Bolin closed up some gaping holes in the walls of the storefronts along the street with a few swift motions. "Hey, Korra?"

Korra rolled her arms and looked over at him. "Yeah?"

Bolin raised a stool with earthbending and sat down on it. "Well, you're gonna have to go back east sooner or later. Probably sooner, and I want to come with you. When you do." For just a moment, his cheery demeanor vanished, and Korra saw the regret and guilt he must have been carrying with him. "I don't think I'm really the construction kind of guy. More, uh, the opposite. Against bad guys, obviously, but, you get my point."

"Bolin, you never have to ask that kind of thing. I _always _want you to come along when I go off to do...Avatar things." She scrunched up her face. "Unless it's diplomatic stuff, because we both hate that but you actually have the option of not going."

"Actually, I got pretty good at those kinds of things while working under Kuvira, even though I was _accidentally _lying, so I might be able to help with that." He blinked twice. "Wow. Saying that out loud surprises me, too."

Korra smiled. "I don't think it's surprising. You're a mover star, and you've always had a way with people."

"Opal says it's my 'honest charm'," he said dutifully, placing his palm over his chest. "I am inclined to agree with her because it makes me sound like a good person."

"...you're already a good person. Why would you need to sound like one?"

"Well, a better person, then! Come on, Korra, don't ruin my girlfriend's compliments. I wouldn't do that to you."

Korra smirked. "That's only because she'd stop saying all of those nice things to you if you did, since she's so protective of Asami and I." She scratched her head. "For reasons I still don't quite understand. Does she have a crush on both of us, or something?" She crooked her lips to the side. "If she does that could lead to a whole...bunch of...weird stuff."

"I seriously hope it's not that." Bolin buried his head in his hands. "I have no idea what it is. I keep trying to figure it out, but all she ever says is that she's just so excited about you two. I don't get it!" He looked up and flailed his arms. "It's not like she's jealous of you two for being married or something _normal _like that!" Bolin slapped his hands over his mouth and turned bright red.

Marriage? Well, she'd given it a little thought, but that was...no, Korra. Slow and steady. Stop fantasizing about all that and get back to-_wait Bolin Beifong?! _ Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!

"Bolin!" Korra gasped into an open mouthed smile. "She wants to marry you?"

"I didn't say that."

"No, but you implied it, and I refuse to believe that you'd be with her this long without-"

He huffed and tossed her a small box, which she caught. She opened it to find a very pretty silver ring. An engagement ring? Right, yes, that's what those things were. It was a United Republic thing, apparently. Engagement ring? Engagement ring! There was an engagement ring in the box! Korra wanted to scream with excitement because one of her _best friends _was going to get married probably, but that would sort of ruin the whole...process of Bolin actually asking Opal. To marry him.

So she didn't do that.

"How long have you had this?" she whispered as she walked closer to him.

He shrugged. "A year. Well, _that _one I've had for a few months. I lost the first one after Kuvira caught me, Varrick, and Zhu Li trying to run. It's the same size and style, though."

She earthbent his stool into a bench and sat beside him. "It's beautiful. What kind of metal is it?"

Bolin smiled a little. "Mix of platinum and silver. Mostly silver. It's...supposed to symbolize greatness and integrity. I can't metalbend, but if I could, I could bend the silver, which would I guess _also_ bend the platinum since it's blended in."

"Wow, you put a lot of thought into this. It's pretty much perfect." Korra inspected the ring more closely. "Aren't these supposed to have an engraving or something?"

Bolin nodded. "Yeah, that's sort of why I haven't asked her yet. I don't know what I want it to say, and before you start giving me suggestions like Mako did, all of which were terrible I might add, I want to figure it out on my own." He rolled the ring between two fingers. "This is just one of those things you've got to do alone, or it won't mean as much, you know?"

"Yeah." Korra nodded. "Who's doing the engraving?"

Bolin smacked his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot the whole part about _actually _needing a metalbender! Who isn't a Beifong, or some random soldier, or a cop, to engrave it oh so you, I guess." He laughed and hid the ring back into the box, placing it straight into his pocket. "Would you mind helping this poor lost lavabender on his path to marriage and love, Oh Great and Powerful Avatar?"

Korra rolled her eyes and shouldered him playfully. "Wow, I'm _so _happy to be chosen by default. Of course I will. I'd be honored. Just give the word and I'll...uh, put the words on it."

"Great! Thanks, that really helps a lot."

Before she had a chance to answer, one of Asami's...flying machines, painted in black and blue, came swooping down into the street, the pair of rotors creating a powerful buffeting of air around it. It no longer made sense to call them mechas or hummingbirds, since the decently sized cargo hold in the back of it made the comparison nonsense. It still had arms and legs for landing gear, or something, but...that was about it. Oh, and a beak-thing for a nose. It certainly still ornate, though.

Korra protected her head with her forearm, and Bolin turned away entirely, using his hands to block bits of dust and debris that were being kicked up. It hovered in place for a moment, the rotors _tilted_, and then it landed on the ground.

The cockpit hatch slid open, and Asami popped her head out. "Oh, good, I didn't knock you off your feet. The last few test flights of these prototype third generation models were tossing people around like ragdolls. Guess I fixed that."

Bolin waved. "Hey Asami! Cool, uh, thing!"

"Thank you, Bolin. Still deciding on a name. How are you?"

"Doin' good. You?"

Asami fiddled with the controls and the wings folded inward, just like a biplane. "Very well."

"I think you might have outdone me with your delivery style." Korra smirked and looked up at the sun. A little past noon. Right on time. "Hope you brought enough for Bolin, too!"

"Of course I did," she said as she hopped out of the mecha. "Courtesy of Pema, actually." She trotted around to the cargo ramp as it slid open. Asami vanished inside of it for a moment and then reappeared with a very large box. "I have to encourage this kind of workout routine in any way I can, you know," she said slyly. "The two of you have spoiled Opal and I with all of that muscle."

Bolin went through a series of victorious and heroic poses. Pro-bending to Nuktuk, and back again. "Hey, it's not easy looking this good. Takes lots of hard work." His stomach growled louder than a skybison. "...part of which is eating."

"Don't worry, Bolin. You're not gonna starve." Korra chortled and stomped her foot, earthbending a table and another bench across from her own. "Yeah, guess all the exercise is definitely a plus." She flexed her right arm thoughtfully. "Feels good to be back in peak form, I have to tell you. Really good."

Asami put the box on the table and opened it, revealing a feast that only Pema could deliver. Sweet buns, rice, veggie dumplings, steaming noodles with vegetables...more vegetables. So many vegetables. All of it was delicious, of course, but none of it was _meat._ "I'll bet. Now, let's dig in before my lunch break ends."

Korra grinned and went to town on the dumplings and soon found herself in an eating contest with Bolin. It was starting to become pretty commonplace for them to end up doing that kind of thing. At first, Asami had tried to compete with them, but after one too many instances of stomach problems, she stopped. Korra fought Bolin over the last bowl of rice, the two of them getting into an impromptu sword fight with chopsticks before Bolin finally proved the victor by using his hands to scoop the rest into his mouth.

Korra pouted and slammed her fists on the table, causing everything on it to jump. "Hey, that's cheating! You can't use your hands!"

"I don't remember us ever specifying a rule that we couldn't," he said, with a big grin.

Asami looked down the street. "Guys?"

"Hold on, Asami, this is important," said Korra. "It's bad manners, Bolin!"

Bolin shrugged and put his arms behind his back. "Oh, and _eating contests _aren't? Last time I checked, which was pretty recent since Opal just reminded me of that the other day, they're considered very rude."

Asami stood from her chair. "Guys!" she said firmly. "We have to clear the road."

Korra looked down the street to see a large tarp covered truck approaching. "Oh. Thanks, Asami." She smoothed their makeshift table and chairs into the earth while Bolin grabbed the box of food and walked off to the side of the street, next to Asami's flying machine. It probably wasn't smart to eat in the middle of an intersection, but then, the roads were closed off for construction.

Excluding the vehicles the workers used, of course.

Korra joined the two of them and watched the truck pass them by. The tarp flew up for a second as it turned down toward the bay. Korra's heart fell into her stomach.

It was full of spirit vines.

Bundles of them. Flashes of the Colossus and it's raw destructive power surged through her mind's eye. She couldn't let that happen again. It was wrong. Wrong on so many levels.

"Spirit Vines!" Korra airbended her glider into her hands. "Asami, get that thing in the air!"

Asami was already strapped into her...thing, with Bolin sprinting into the back, when she turned around to them. "I'll call Lin! Go after them!" she yelled, giving her a thumbs up.

Korra nodded and sprinted away from the machine. She opened her glider and threw herself forward, airbending the wind currents to lift her several stories in a few seconds. It wouldn't take her long to spot the truck.

"_On your left!" _boomed Asami, through external speakers.

Korra turned to her left to see Asami's bird-thing zoom past her at what was frankly a startling speed. The massive wind-wake of the flying machine sent her spiraling before she righted herself. Korra pouted and rose higher.

"...thought you fixed that…"

Korra found the truck driving along the bayside road, expertly swerving around traffic. Asami was already nearly on top of it, and any weapons she might have on that thing would probably set off the vines. Or something. It wasn't clear to her how they exploded.

Still, Korra wasn't going fast enough.

She dove downward on to the roof of a building and, in one fluid sequence, collapsed her glider, set it on the ground, and lunged forward again with a burst of firebending. She streaked through the air, flames flowing freely through her fists and feet. Life. Energy. No rage.

Well, maybe a little. Spirit weapons were an _abomination. _Korra growled and her flames grew, surging her forward. Faster and faster. She caught sight of the truck again, and Asami clearly trying to block its path without blowing herself up, or hitting the other motorists, driving down side street after side street. They were playing a dangerous game of pig chicken, with the flying machine rising and falling in front of the truck. Bolin was leaning out of the back and slinging slabs of earth at the tires, which appeared to be armored.

Korra dropped down and maneuvered through a narrow alleyway, redirecting herself with little blasts of airbending to avoid crashing into the buildings and vines. Fire would just cause more damage, and that wasn't good. In the distance, she could hear police sirens. Good. Quick response time.

Korra bursted out of an alleyway and onto a main street just as the truck passed by from under her, along with Asami's bird above. It didn't throw her off balance that time. She didn't have time for that.

Korra brought herself close to the ground, dodging the increasingly chaotic traffic the chase was causing, and poured more chi into her fire, searing forward with an extra boost of speed to get ahead of the truck. They were almost to Kyoshi bridge, and she couldn't allow that. She grabbed onto the side of the grille and used it swing around to the front with a loud clank. Korra pulled herself up into the windshield's field of view and glared at the two morons in the truck. "STOP THE TRUCK!" she screamed at them.

The moron who wasn't driving, a middle-aged woman with brown hair, lobbed several fireballs at her through the passenger side window, all of which were poorly aimed. Korra glared at her and tried a different tactic. Specifically, breathing fire all over the windshield. Flames licked across the glass and vanished quickly. The car didn't slow down, and the driver honestly looked more annoyed than scared.

Korra grunted in frustration and held the grille tighter, crushing the metal. "All right! You asked for it!" With a powerful roar, she slammed her boots into the ground with all of her might. A wide column of stone erupted from beneath the truck's undercarriage, sending it flying in a forward tumble above her, scattering several bundles of spirit vines across the street and a few into the bay. She rolled to a stop and caught the truck mid flight with a rather straining use of metalbending.

Before she could lower it to the ground, Asami's bird-thing latched on to the bottom of the upside down truck with it's landing gear and held it in place, hovering about twenty feet above the ground. With a heavy sigh, Korra released her hold on the truck.

"_That was a close one. If you hadn't stopped the truck in another few seconds, I would have had to try a pretty crazy maneuver to catch them," _said Asami, through the external speakers, as she lowered the inverted truck to the ground.

"You good?_"_ Bolin yelled above the din of the rotors, his head poking out from the end of the ramp. He hopped down to the ground and sealed the truck in with two walls of earth.

"I'm fine, thanks." Korra took a moment to catch her breath, bending over and putting her hands on her knees. She gave them a thumbs up. "Nice job, you two!" Busting heads always made for a better day, if she were being honest with herself, which she was.

Three patrol cars came screaming down the street and skidded to a halt with blaring sirens. A squad of officers fanned out and surrounded the hovering truck. Lin sprinted out of one of the cars and stared at the display.

"Good work, Sato!" she yelled.

"_I know. Your response time is still terrible."_

"Hey, I saved your butt that time, missy! You'd be in jail if I didn't respect you so damn much!"

"_Why are you screaming that? You're the Chief of Police!"_

"You just answered your own question."

Korra had watched _that _story in the Tree of Time, but really didn't feel like chewing Lin out for it. The RCPD officers dragging the two morons from the truck into a squad car reminded her she had better things to do. She glanced about at the piles of spirit vines scattered across the street. "Lin, you're going to want to secure these into a single pile. We can't lose track of any of them."

"I really miss the days when things were simpler. Didn't have to take orders from random twenty-somethings, and I could just _arrest people _for vigilantism without the whole world screaming at me."

Korra cocked her head toward the bay, ignoring the comments entirely. "A few bundles fell into the bay, so I'm gonna go fish those out."

"You do that, kid." She took her hand radio off of her belt and clicked it on. "'Seaweed' is secure. I repeat, 'seaweed' is secure. Corner of Yueshore Drive and Fifth, over."

Korra sprinted to the edge of the bay and dove into the water. It took her only a few moments to find the scattered vines, since they were still tied in bundles. She spun, rose, and broke the surface with a water spout that flowed back onto the shore, carrying the vines along with her current.

Lin scowled and growled into her radio. "_What?_ Where?!" She looked out over the bridge. "SATO! SECOND TRUCK! SAME MAKE AND MODEL, HALFWAY ACROSS THE BRIDGE!"

"_On it!"_ The bird-thing rose, blasting another whirlwind across the area as it streaked toward the bridge.

Korra's eyes widened and she waterbent herself dry. "You have got to be kidding me."

She looked toward the bridge to see the birdy-thing dive and actually _latch on to the speeding truck. _It rose into the air, slowly but surely, and turned back around toward them. Around thirty seconds later, the truck was dropped onto the ground where Bolin was ready to trap it between two slabs of stone. The RCPD dragged two _more _idiots out of it, and that was that.

It had all happened so quickly that Korra could hardly believe it.

Korra checked the back of the second truck, pulling aside a small part of the tarp. More spirit vines. Just as many as were in the first truck. She balled her free hand into a fist and punched the truck's chassis, denting it. "I thought we were _done _with all this vine stuff."

Bolin clapped her on the back. "Yeah, me too." he frowned.

Korra snorted. "...this probably means I'll be doing Avatar things pretty soon."

"And, if things are like this, you're probably going to _need _lava, instead of, y'know, it just being useful."

"Probably." Korra turned back toward the open street to see Asami landing her thingy-bird-plane. She walked over toward it and gestured for Bolin to follow her. "So, that was the crazy move you were going to try?"

Asami slid open the cockpit and laughed. "Yeah, more or less." She made a circle in the air with her index finger. "The original plan was to do a spin and use the torque of the rotors to force it to stop by flying in the opposite direction, but then I realized…" She slid out of the..._thing_ and onto the ground with a grunt. "That it would just be showing off, and I could accomplish the same thing by picking them up. Of course, I didn't know the magnets were strong enough until I grabbed the first one."

Bolin raised his hand and pouted. "I, for the record, would have rather seen the spinning thing. It sounds cooler."

Asami tapped her chin and furrowed her brow. "...well, maybe if I had some sort of magnetic net, or a large electromagnet, I could pull it off, but really it's just inefficient."

"Okay, sure, I totally get that. But it'd be _really cool."_

Korra nodded along. "He's right. It'd be really, really cool."

Asami laughed once. "One track mind."

"_Passionate-_minded," she countered, with a lopsided grin.

Asami lowered her eyes. "_Passionate-minded_, huh? Oh, I'd very much like to see that. You'll have to give me a demonstration."

"Even if it's just me showing off?"

"Wow." Bolin wiped some dust off of his jacket. "Still here, by the way. I mean, I can leave if you two want privacy, or whatever, but we still have the vines to deal with, so…" He jabbed his thumb behind him, at said pile of vines. "Thinkin' that's more important at the moment. Also you're in public and Lin is...still...over there."

"Don't bother, kid! Those two lovebirds have a nasty case of tunnel vision!" beckoned Lin, laughing. "You'd better get over here before they start breaking public decency laws and I have to break out the cables!"

Korra _refused _to think about cables. It was not the time. No. Not the time. Vines. Have to focus on the vines that are basically just planty green cables, _damnit now all she can think about are the cables. _"Please don't!" she blurted.

Asami wrinkled her nose. "Korra, I think she's just kidding." She slapped her forehead. "Oh for...I was on break! I was on break and _this _happened!"

"...yeah, but you own the company."

"That doesn't mean I can just goof off whenever I feel like it! At least, not anymore!"

Lin stomped over to the two of them and forcibly dragged them over to the pile of Vines. "Okay, that's enough of that. Remember how these things nearly destroyed the city? Yes, you do. So we're going to focus on the _that_." She shoved them both forward. "Go on, start with ideas, because all I know is that these things are bad news. Well, besides locking down the borders of downtown and enforcing a mandatory security check for every person going in or out of the area. Already called _that _in."

Bolin frowned. "People are going to _hate _that."

"Know what they hate more? Their homes exploding."

"That...is a good point."

Asami grumbled and crouched down next to the vines. "There's only one reason why someone would want spirit vines at all, let alone in this quantity. Weapons. Ones that we have no defense against. Well, no logistically sound one, since Korra can't be _everywhere._ And we don't even know if that would work twice..." She stood back up and bowed her head. "This...there are _a lot_ of scary implications here."

Korra blinked. "Scarier than a giant spirit cannon? That doesn't seem possible."

"Yes, well, that's...typically how things work. There is always something more." Asami looked back over her shoulder, looking..._exhausted _and terrified and sick.

Korra gripped Asami by her shoulders and searched her scared eyes, biting her lip with worry. "Hey. You just went from okay to...I don't what this is, but you look like you have a fever. Explain it to me. Can you? Maybe that'll help."

"I...this is all just...ideas. Theories. There's...uhm..." Asami stammered and started breathing very quickly. "Damnit…" She closed her eyes and after a few moments, color returned to her face. "Okay. I'm okay. My imagination got the better of me for a second. I'm okay."

Korra tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Asami furrowed her brow and tenderly removed Korra's hands from her shoulders. "Just who the hell do you think I am?"

* * *

><p>Asami was <em>not <em>okay.

It couldn't be that simple. It just couldn't be. It..._no. _That's not how it worked.

She stared at Varrick with unblinking eyes. "Run that by me again."

"Asami, I don't think it's possible for me to-"

She slammed her fist on her desk. "_Do it again."_

Varrick flicked his hands in the air. "Fine, fine. I don't see the point, but whatever." He took a small piece of spirit vine in one hand and a battery in the other. He slapped them together with a loud clap and then wiggled his fingers in a wide circle, making explosion noises.

Asami buried her head in her hands. "That's it. Electricity. That's _all _it is to make a bomb."

"A _dirty_ bomb. An inefficient, sloppy bomb, but yeah, that's all there is to it. A vine this big would probably blow up this room, more or less. Surprised me, too," he said, without any of usual grandstanding or eccentricity. "I can't help but feel like this is partially my fault."

Asami gripped her hair, lest she tear his head off. "It is _entirely your fault!_"

"Hey, I wanted to make a battery, not some crazy purple death ray or anything like that! I was doing something noble for the Earth-whatever-"

"You were doing it for profit. I swear, Varrick, I do not have any patience for this right now."

"Okay, fine, for _profit_! But I didn't want this! How am I supposed to sell weapons if the weapons I'm selling _kill everybody?! _I'd be bankrupt faster than a...than…" He snapped his fingers, clearly searching for a word. "...a rocket boat? I let Zhu Li sleep in today, so I don't have my usual...thing. With me. Which I guess are words in this case…"

Asami looked up from her desk and fought the urge to leap across it and wail into the man. "You created the potential for this kind of weapon. For this level of destruction."

Varrick narrowed his eyes. "Asami, _both _my wife and I have tried to blow ourselves up to prevent this technology from developing, so yes, I realize that." He steepled his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. "Look, Asami, you're getting too caught up in the bad stuff that _could _happen." He snapped a finger at her. "Not a great way to live, saying that from experience."

"If I don't do that, then how would I figure out what I'm supposed to be stopping in the first place?!"

"Accept that things are bad!" He yelled.

"I already did," growled Asami.

"Don't interrupt, I'm going somewhere with this!" He countered, just as passionately. He stared at her, waiting.

Asami looked at him like he'd just called her desk a cheating harlot. "...which is?"

"Oh. Thought you were going to interrupt me again."

"Why would I-"

"Moving on! The stuff exists. Spirit stuff. Can't change that, nothing we can do about it, nothing _anybody _can do about it." He drummed his hands on his knees. "Ever heard the expression that if it looks like a hogmonkey and tastes like a hogmonkey, you probably drank cactus juice because hogmonkies don't taste like _anything?_"

Asami pinched her brow. "No, and I don't think anyone else has either."

"Exactly my point! Nobody would think of that because it's _crazy _and _impossible_. Know what else is crazy and impossible?"

"Talking to you for more than three seconds?"

"Close, but no. Already disproven! We've been talking for more than an hour, hah!" He smacked his palm down on her desk. "I'm talking about a way to _stop _this kind of weapon, even after it's been used. Maybe even when it's _being _used!" He leaned back in his chair and put his...bare feet on her desk. "The way I see it, we have two options. We can sit on our hands and do nothing, and watch everyone we know and love die. Or…" He grinned and steepled his hands together. "You can stop treating me like a piece of human garbage, and we can work together to figure out a way to _beat _this thing."

Asami swallowed, both physically and her pride. Integrity too, most likely. Her head was pounding. No choice. No way out on her own. An impossible problem. Weight of the world on her shoulders, and suddenly she realized that it's probably how Korra feels most of the time. And if she could do it, again and again, then...well, she could too. "We have to try."

"That's the spirit!" Varrick jumped out of his chair and clapped his hands together. "Okay, first thing's first!" He blinked and looked at her blankly. "Uhhhh...you. You go first. I have no idea where to start."

Asami glowered at him but decided that it wasn't worth the effort to strangle him. "Idiot. I have a few leads on spirit energy, but..." She opened her drawer and slammed the five books she'd checked out from Wan Shi Tong onto the desk. It hurt her more than she thought it would to realize that, technically, she was proving the old owl right. His knowledge was being used for war. "I want your word that we're not going to be building _weapons_. Just defense systems."

"Yeah, I'm with you there. Hundred percent." Varrick picked up the top book and inspected it. Upside down, flipping through pages, shaking it out, smelled it, that sort of thing. Ugh. "Where'd you find these things? They look, and smell, older than dirt."

"Spirit World."

"Well, then they're _perfect_! What better way to learn about spirit energy than books _from _that crazy place!"

"Don't you still have your research notes?"

"Nope. Blew 'em up."

"Copies?"

"And have my work stolen? No thank you!"

"Well, then do you remember any of it?"

"Forgot it! On purpose! Before you ask, neither does Zhu Li. Her memory is _scary _selective."

Asami covered her face with her hands and fought the growing urge to beat that smile off his face. "I hate you so, _so _much, Varrick."

* * *

><p><strong>Mako was originally in this chapter, and part of the truck chase, but it got way too complicated and broke the flow of the story. To be honest firelightning is super dangerous around spirit vines. It's why you don't see Bolin lavabend the truck. No clue what could happen. They could explode!**

**"Yueshore Drive" is a combination of Chicago's "Lakeshore Drive" and...well, Yue Bay.**

**As always, feedback is appreciated! No matter how small, random, scathing or huge your thoughts are, I'd love to hear 'em. :) **


	6. Secrets and Tunnels

**Beta'd by BSG-Legacy.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 3 - This M.A.D. World of Ours**

**Section 2:**

**"Secrets and Tunnels**"

Asami stood in the wrecked head of the Colossus.

The command center was a mess of exposed wires and cables, obscuring the room. The once mobile central platform was lodged into the ground at an ugly angle, and the complex hydraulic systems that controlled spilled out onto the cold metal floor.

Asami carefully moved a curtain of wires out of her way and swept her flashlight along the instrument panels at the back of the helm. Most of them were shorted out or partially crushed from the impact, but a few were more or less intact. She traced her gloved index finger along the edge of the panels, eventually stopping at one that looked relevant.

'Power Control System'. Simple and concise. All of the buttons and dials, however, were anyone's guess. She wished she had a manual. Everything was labeled in MVs. She had no idea what that was.

"Any luck in there, Asami?!" barked Varrick.

Asami jumped and spun around to see Varrick's head poking in from above the shattered view port. "Sort of! The power readouts are still legible and..." She crouched down and yanked off the metal grate of the enclosure, revealing a few thousand wires of many, many colors. "Yup! Internal wiring is pretty much intact, too! Only problem is I can't read the measurements. It's some sort of proprietary unit of energy."

"You mean it's not in Teos?"

"No, it isn't. I mean, that's been a standard for power for over seventy years. Why change it now?"

Varrick raised a brow and massaged his mustache...while still upside down. "If I had to guess, she just renamed it without changing anything else. Egotistical tyrants love that sort of thing. What's the needle stuck at?"

"That's where it gets odder." Asami tapped one of the glass covered readouts. "Ten."

"That's barely enough power a lamp! All right, I'm comin' down there!" He clapped his hands together. "Bolin, let me down! Gently." Varrick front flipped down to the ground and landed perfectly. He looked up and grinned. "Thanks!"

"I was about to drop you anyway! You're_ really_ heavy for someone your size!_"_ Bolin poked his head into view in much the same way Varrick had. "Oh, wow, this thing looks even weirder on the_ inside_. Hey Asami!" he said, waving and grinning.

Asami smiled and gave him a mock-salute. "Hey Bolin. Did you go make sure the press won't step anywhere near the estate?"

"I think so. I made a giant lava moat in front of your really long driveway."

Opal's head popped up, or rather down, beside his. "And I pushed the few who were brave enough to try and cross it really far back. Quite a few waterbenders in that crowd."

Asami smiled. "Thanks, you two."

Varrick hopped and skittered over toward her and snatched the flashlight out of her hands. He squinted and swiped the light over everything in the room, including her eyes, and returned to the read-out Asami had been looking at. "Hmmmm..."

Asami bristled and buried the instinct to punch him in the head. No respect for personal space. No respect for_ anything_ or_ anyone_ that wasn't Zhu Li! Unprofessional! "You're just doing that to get on my nerves, aren't you?"

Varrick waggled a finger at her. "Keeps you on your toes!" He squinted at the needle. "MV? Oh!" He laughed and handed the flashlight back to Asami. "Varrick! It's in_ Varricks!_ Of course it is! That's the only thing that would make sense on a scale this large! And it's in _M__ega_ Varricks! Hah!"

Asami wrinkled her nose. "You named a massive unit of power after yourself?"

"You betcha! Did the same thing with Zhu Li! A single one of her, well her_ average_ weight, is approximately 7.33 Sokkas. A Varrick is...uhhh..." He counts on his fingers several times in rapid succession. "Three hundred trillion Teos. Yes! Three hundred trillion! That's not just some random number, by the way. It's more or less how much energy is generated when firing the spirit cannon."

"Are you telling me..." Asami_ heard_ her heart pound in her chest. That was...more power than should ever exist. It was several_ magnitudes_ more energy than was needed to power the entire planet. Several hundred thousand times. "That it takes ten times that much to power this thing?!"

"Hah, I wish! It's in_ mega_ Varricks! It's actually a ten billion times more. Literally! Which is...wait, I forgot how many zeroes this was…" He mumbled several dozen words that Asami couldn't make out. "Right! 1.2 times 10 to the 21st power. In Teos."

Bolin hopped down to the ground. "Well, I guess you'd need that kind of energy if you wanted to shoot...purple beams of death everywhere." He looked around the head. "Still not really sure what that was, by the way."

"Neither do I! Only thing I _do _know is that it's not electrical energy. Otherwise, an electromagnetic pulse would have taken this down with no trouble at all."

Asami frowned and pinched her brow, pushing the_ sheer power output madness_ to the bottom of her stomach. Deal with it later. "Oh, yes, I remember that part_ very_ vividly. You told me to unplug everything and ran out the door. I'm_ still_ replacing my building's entire electrical system, by the way."

"Casualties of war, Asami. Gotta learn to roll with the punches."

Asami stared at him for a moment. Casualties. It was amazing how she'd bury one gripe against Varrick, just for another to surface. "Yeah, you and me both." She punched him in the stomach. She flexed her fingers and glared at Varrick. "You really can't blame me for that one."

"I get it, okay? Poor choice of words. Ugh, you punch like an angry elephant-rhino!" Varrick groaned and clutched his stomach. "At least you didn't hit me in the head."

"And risk a concussion? We need your mind, not your_ stomach,"_ she said, turning her back to them and crouching down to take another look at the wiring. "Varrick, why don't you find Zhu Li go and see if you can piece together the remains of the spirit vine generator, or whatever was capable of generating 10 _M__ega Varricks_ of power."

Bolin scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, they're not going to find that."

Asami ducked her head into the access hatch and looked downward. It was almost as if the wires and internal lines were...seared off. "Why not, Bolin?"

"It just sort of vanished. Mako shot lightning into the big thing of spirit vines and next thing you know, lots of lights and...poof. Gone. It was_ really weird."_

Varrick straightened back up to his feet and paced around Bolin. "That_ is_ weird! It only took enough vines to fill a barrel to blow up a big stretch of nothing! A few hundred feet in every direction, if memory serves."

"Wait..." Asami blinked and felt the gears in her head spin faster and faster. "We already know that when introduced to a powerful enough electrical current, spirit vines release exponentially more energy and eventually explode." She turned back toward the rest of them, pushing her confusion as to why Opal was still hanging upside down into the back of her mind. Maybe it was an airbender thing? "Bolin, how many vines did Mako shoot lightning into?"

Bolin hummed in thought. "I couldn't give you a number, because there were_ a lot_ and they were all sort of...tied together, but it was around as big as, let's say around three satomobiles? Maybe four. About the size of the nice blue one you drive."

Varrick's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "That's enough energy to destroy the entire city. And the mountains surrounding it!"

Asami nodded slowly. "That's just what I was thinking."

Bolin's eyes widened. "Uhhh, okay. That's pretty scary. If it didn't explode, then...what did it do?"

Asami and Varrick locked eyes for an instant. It was the only logical explanation. "It _imploded_!" they said in unison.

"Imploded…?" asked Bolin.

Varrick slung his arm around Bolin's shoulder. "Total opposite of an explosion! Instead of throwing big purple energy everywhere, it, uh, pushes it all inside of itself until it's gone!"

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I know. Implosions are crazy like that, but _trust me_-"

"I sorta don't."

"They _do _exist!"

Bolin looked at Asami and shrugged. "Okay, so it...imploded? Why'd it do that? I'm gonna use logic here for a second, yes, crazy I _know_," he said with a grin. "But it seems to me that, since lightning is energy...putting more into a thing that makes lots of it would make it explode. Which was the original plan, and _wow _that was not a good plan."

Asami smirked. "When has_ logic_ ever applied to the Spirit World?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't really help with this. There has to be a reason, right?"

Varrick shook his head. "There doesn't _have _to be a reason. It's the Spirit World."

Asami crossed her arms and leaned back against the panel. "Varrick does have a point. Nothing has to make sense."

"Uhh, okay? Well, just throwing this out here, random thought. Maybe it has something to do with the generator? It didn't look _anything _like the one Varrick made and then turned into a bomb. It wasn't even inside a tube. Just a big tangle of glowing vines."

"That's...certainly possible. I have no idea how that would cause an implosion, though."

Opal rolled her eyes. "Why don't you two geniuses just go and_ ask_ my brother about this? He's in prison, not dead."

"Oh. I didn't think he'd be so forthcoming."

"Well, you won't know until you try. Do you want me to call Auntie Lin and get her to grant you clearance?"

Asami chuckled. Auntie Lin. "That would be great, thanks."

"All right, I'll go do that," she said. With a burst of air, she heard Opal glide away.

Asami cleared her throat. "While I'm out, Varrick, I want you and Zhu Li to start making small-scale spirit bombs. The kind of thing we could blow up in the yard and not cause an international incident. Both the 'dirty' and 'clean' varieties. They're for_ testing_, not for weapons development. " She clapped Bolin on the shoulder as Varrick sprinted like a wildman out of the Colossus. "Bolin, could you-"

"Get rid of the lava?"

"Well, yes, that, but I was wondering if you could come with me. Prisons..." She bit her lip for a moment and shuddered. "I don't like prisons."

"Sure."

Asami smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>Korra leaned against the thick padded walls of the platinum cell. She looked down at Kuvira, who had somehow managed to stay fit while in jail. Pride was a hard thing to humble. The former tyrant still wore green, but they looked more like rags than a uniform. Well, it still technically <em>was<em> a uniform. Just not as nice. "I'm surprised nobody has tried to break you out yet."

Kuvira shrugged. "I'm sure there have been attempts. Fanaticism is difficult to stem. However, it is_ very_ easy to encourage."

Korra chortled dryly. "Anyone ever tell you to write a book of proverbs? I think it would sell pretty well."

"...it is something I considered, to be perfectly honest. Something a bit more modern than_ 'The Dragon of the West',_ which is a fantastic book, if you've never read it. But, that would have been far more egotistical than I was willing to go."

Korra had not read that book. She did, however, remember seeing a signed copy of it in Asami's library. To Satoru, no less. "You do remember that people wore shirts with your face on them, right?"

"I didn't manufacture those. I didn't create them. I didn't suggest them. Personally, I thought they were_ ridiculous. _Baatar bought one as a joke, which was, I'll admit, amusing at first." She smiled sadly. "The look on his face when I tore it off and threw it into the campfire was adorable."

Korra tilted her head. "Hey, so, I've got a question."

"You often do."

"Right, well, this time it's important."

"It often is."

Korra glared down at her. "Kuvira."

Kuvira held up her palms in a placating manner. "I concede. What is your question, Avatar?"

"Before you found the swamp, did you have any plans of smuggling spirit vines out of Republic City?"

"Smuggling? After Varrick and Bolin defected..." Kuvira narrowed her eyes. "I sent agents into the United Republic to investigate if such a thing were possible, but they ended up coming back empty handed...because_ for some reason_ they thought that I wanted custody of Wu." She rolled her eyes. "Capable though they were, they failed to understand that such an act was, inevitably, meaningless. What was I to do with him? Kill him? Throw him in a prison camp? No matter my decision, nothing would change."

Korra sighed. "I suppose not."

"Why are you asking this?"

Korra looked at the former tyrant gloomily. "We caught two trucks trying to smuggle several dozen bundles of vines across Kyoshi bridge last week. No identifiable markings on the drivers or the trucks, and one of them was a_ firebender_, but...I thought I'd at least check." Korra rubbed her forehead. "I had to be sure."

"I understand. However, even if they were part of my old regime, they would not be attempting to build another mecha-suit. I promise you that."

"I figured as much. Not enough metal. Well, obviously, everyone is worried what this could all mean..."

"It can mean a lot of things, Avatar." Kuvira clenched her jaw. "Is anyone...actively_ developing_ these weapons? Not individuals. Nations."

Korra shrugged. "I don't know, but I don't think so. Neither my cousins or my father would have_ any_ interest in messing with the spirits after Harmonic Convergence, so the Water Tribes aren't touching this stuff. The Fire Nation, well, no. Needs no explanation. Same for the Air Nation." She crossed her arms. "As for the United Republic, I know Raiko_ wants_ them, but the only minds smart enough, as far as I know, all refused to make them for him. Or they're in jail."

Kuvira sighed deeply and looked...surprisingly relaxed. "Good. Let us both hope it stays that way."

"It won't," she said bluntly. The absolute certainty in her tone surprised her.

Kuvira scoffed. "Pessimism, coming from you? Interesting."

"I've been a pessimist for a long time, Kuvira. Ever since I left home and came here. Assume the worst, and you come out on top. It's worked for me so far. Mostly."

Kuvira simply nodded.

"Okay, worst case scenario? How about you give me that?"

Kuvira stared off into space. "Avatar, you do_ not_ want to learn of this."

"Actually, I do. So spill it or this nice conversation ends."

"Everyone dies."

Korra frowned. "Try again."

"_Everything_ dies."

"Last chance."

"I'm not telling you today, Avatar. It is a burden you do not have to carry. For now, at least."

"Fine, be a martyr again." Korra shrugged and rapped her knuckles against the platinum door. "I'll see you when I see you."

"I look forward to it."

"Yeah."

For Korra, the sequence of exiting the cell and being escorted back to the main wing of the prison had become a blur of muscle memory. Always the same and an exercise in her patience of monotony. The same was true for actually getting_ in_ to the maximum security wing. Checked for metal, water, sand and rocks. Questioned the purpose of her visit. Signed lots of documents. As the Avatar, she thought at first that she should be exempt because_ she put her there in the first place,_ but then that would set a bad precedent blah blah blah.

Ugh. Politics were infuriating most of the time.

"Korra, I saw Naga outside. What are you doing here?"

Korra snapped back from automatic and found herself in the lobby of the prison staring at Asami, holding a stack of papers. Muscle memory is no longer to be trusted. "What are..._you_ doing here?" Smooth, Korra. Smooth.

Asami slowly raised a brow. "I'm visiting Baatar Jr. We're getting his input on..." She gave her a look. That one. The one that she's supposed to know. "Seaweed noodle recipes." Oh, the vines. Right.

"Oh, I hear he's the_ best_ at that! Be sure to write them down so we can cook it later."

"Little too far there."

"Really?"

"Just a bit."

Bolin barreled through the front door, dozens of camera bulbs flashing behind him. He slammed the doors behind him with a scared look on his face. "Asami, I can't tell where the Nuktuk fans start and the reporters begin! That is a_ very confusing_ crowd! Also I think Naga might have eaten someone's camera." He looked over at Korra and grinned. "Hey Korra wait, why are you in prison?"

Korra blinked. "I was...looking for the bathroom."

Asami shot her an unamused look. "In prison."

"Yes."

"Did you find it?"

"...no. Okay, so gotta go do Avatar things! Bye!"

"You're a terrible liar." Before she moved another inch, Asami had her hand on her forearm, gripping it like a vice. "Why are you here, Korra?" she asked quietly.

"I came here to see you, obviously."

"You didn't know I'd be here."

"Oh. Right."

Bolin blinked twice. "Uh, Asami do you want me to let them know we're here?"

"Yes, thank you." Asami squeezed her arm tighter, cutting off circulation. "Korra, in about thirty seconds I'm going to see a sign-in sheet with your name on it. The prisoner you visited will be listed_ right next to that."_ She looked at Korra with an air of curiosity and veiled anger. There was something else there, too. Sadness? Hope? Denial? "Is there anything you'd like to tell me, before I do that?"

Korra bowed her head and covered Asami's vice-like hand with her own. It hurt, but Korra was pretty sure she deserved it at the moment. "I'm sorry."

"You..." Asami curled her lips into a snarl and pushed Korra away. "I can't believe this. Even you. Even_ you_." Then, she got nose to nose with her and jabbed a finger in her face. "If we were_ anywhere_ else I'd punch you right in the mouth, and you'd take it because you know I'm right. With any luck, I'll be done in a few hours here. You are going to meet me at my estate, and then we are going to talk about this."

"It's not that simple-"

"_We will talk later."_

Korra closed her mouth and nodded.

"Good." Asami took a very long, deep breath, and just like that regained her composure. "I'll see you later." She walked off toward the main wing of prison cells with Bolin walking beside her. He looked over his shoulder at her with a raised brow, and Korra knew they were whispering something about her. Probably.

Korra walked outside and was immediately swarmed by a mob of reporters, their cameras and questions firing off faster than she could keep up. She balled her hands into fists and resisted the urge to just airbend everything away from her. Instead, she whistled with two fingers.

Naga roared in that terrifying way that she loved so much and the crowd fled in a panic.

"Nice job, girl," mumbled Korra as she walked up to her polar bear dog, rubbing her fur. Naga coughed and spit out a bunch of broken camera bits. Korra stared down at them with a frown. "Somehow I feel like it was worth it to see the photographer's face, huh?"

Naga panted happily.

Korra had no idea how to feel. Should she feel wrong? Guilty? Right? Justified? Korra supposed it was high time for the_ arguing_ to start. It wouldn't stay that way forever. No. Korra was_ not_ going to let that happen. Maybe she should write a speech. Or, well, no, not that.

Heart to heart, that was the best plan moving forward.

She hoped.

* * *

><p>Bolin saw Korra's name on the registry. He saw that it wasn't her first time there, and that her name reached back nearly three months. Of course, he wasn't going to tell Asami that. Korra would, if she had any sense at all. She was the Avatar but...Kuvira still<em> tried to kill them and everyone they knew and loved.<em> Him, especially! Bolin! Twice!

He walked alongside Asami, racking his brain for something to take her mind off of the situation. If that wasn't betrayal...sort of, then he...man, it was really complicated. Not for Asami, he assumed. So, distraction. Yes, because Bolin was the undisputed best guy to have around when you needed, well, anything.

"Asami."

"I don't want to talk about it," she whispered. "Please, Bolin. Let's just focus on this for now."

Bolin hummed 'nonchalantly'. Oh, he had this. "Really? That's too bad, Asami. 'Cause I would've thought, as one of my best friends, you'd find..." He reached into his pocket and displayed his little engagement ring box to her. "This pretty interesting and important."

"Bolin."Asami's frown very quickly turned completely upside down. She covered her mouth with her free hand, her other arm still holding on to her files. "You're going to get married." She laughed into an even bigger smile. "You're getting_ married._"

"Probably."

"No, no. _No. _She will say_ yes._ She's going to scream it. She's going to start flying around and make tornadoes. You two are basically made for one another, and she loves you just as much as you love her which is something that I honestly thought would be_ totally impossible_ for someone to do, but there she is!" She wrapped him in a big hug. "You're going to be a Beifong!"

"Yeahhh...most likely! Is it weird that I don't feel bad that I told you this in a prison." He slipped the box back into his pocket. "While...visiting her older brother?"

Asami shrugged. "Oh, who cares? You're getting married. That's all that matters."

Operation: Make Asami Forget About the Thing was a complete success.

Bolin grinned and skid to stop as they approached a...regular old prison cell. "Well, this takes me back..."

Asami nodded to the metalbending officer and he slid the door open, revealing a very surprised Baatar Jr. lying on his bed.

Baatar raised his brows. "...you two are the last people I ever expected to visit me."

Asami walked into the cell, along with Bolin, and it closed behind them. "Normally, I wouldn't bother, but there's been a...troubling development." She handed him a folder. "Two trucks were caught trying to smuggle a large amount of spirit vines out of the city. I trust I don't need to explain what that means. Varrick, Zhu Li and I are developing countermeasures against the kind of energy generated by spirit vines, and we realized something while examining the wreck of the Colossus." She sighed. "The entire midsection is_ gone."_

Baatar skimmed through the documents. "Well, you got the math right, I can tell you this much. What makes you think I'd be willing to help with this project?"

"Opal said you would."

"_Opal_? Oh, well...fine."

Bolin tilted his head curiously. "Wow. That was really easy."

"What do you expect, Bolin? I'm in jail. I'm bored!"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"So, when you said that the midsection was gone, what did you mean by that?"

Asami shrugged. "It's just...gone. Vanished. Our working theory is that, somehow, the way your generator worked caused an implosion when it overloaded, rather than an explosion. Since..." She gestures around them.

Baatar nodded. "Everything would have been destroyed. I had no idea the chest had vanished. Bolin, I thought you and your brother managed to shut it down."

Bolin chuckled darkly. "No, no, didn't manage that. We pulled the levers at the right time, but it didn't turn off so Mako shot lightning into it. A lot. Then poof, gone."

"He did_ what_?!"

"Lightningbending. You know, special firebending."

"No, I know what it is, I'm just wondering how the both of you are even alive! How_ any_ of us are! That should have killed us all!"

Asami cleared her throat. "Exactly my point. The only unknown factor here is the way your generator worked. If you could outline it, or tell us a location of the design documents, really any information at all, we'd very much appreciate it."

"Very well." Baatar rested his head on his hands. "Tell me, though. Did Varrick ever figure out how Spirit Vines actually_ work_? Because that's sort of important to this."

Bolin shook his head. "No, he did not. Pretty sure that was on purpose, though."

"Probably, knowing the lengths he went to in order to destroy his research." He frowned. "I...apologize, Bolin. I just realized I never got a chance to do that."

"Apology accepted. Half because you're my girlfriend's older brother, and the other half because...well, it's not_ your_ fault I almost died. That was Varrick."

"Very true. Well, in any case, Spirit Vines aren't actually a form of pure energy, but it's easy to make that mistake. They act in a very similar way, but in reality they're far more complicated."

Asami nodded and scribbled down lots of things on her notepad. "Okay. Varrick...was...wrong. Got it. What else?"

Baatar smiled a little. "Okay, think of a Spirit Vine as a sort of...thin barrier between our world and the Spirit World. Now, when you turn it 'on', by running an electrical current through it, the barrier between our worlds weakens, and spirit energy is_ moved_ from the Spirit World into our own. They're not actually generating anything! They're_ conduits._"

Asami gaped and wrote down_ a lot_ of words and symbols and...most of that was math he didn't understand. High level stuff. "Wait, wait, so then the explosion isn't an overload of power generation, it's like a pipe bursting. The vine can only sustain so much energy, but when it reaches its limit, it explodes, dumping all of the energy it can into our world."

"Exactly."

"That's...well, that makes sense. But, your generator, how did you compensate for that?"

"By redirecting the excess energy_ back_ through the vine itself."

"You mean..." Asami's eyes widened. "Back into the Spirit World? _How_?"

Baatar smirked. "I'd tell you, but the Asami Sato I've heard of would rather figure that out on her own."

"You would be right. Besides, now that I know it's possible, that...that's perfect!" She beamed at Bolin. "Bolin, we wouldn't have to deflect or even nullify the energy. We could just_ send it_ back into the Spirit World!"

Bolin cleared his throat. "Okay, yeah, that's great, but wouldn't that make something explode in the Spirit World?"

"...maybe? We'll test it." Asami hopped to her feet and grabbed the folder Baatar was holding. "Thanks for your help, Baatar. I'll be sure to let you know how the project turns out."

As they turned to leave, Baatar called out to them. "Asami, wait."

She turned to him, curious. "Hm?"

"I know nothing I can say can undo the damage I've done. To the city, to my family, and to...well, everything. And that I don't deserve forgiveness, but I still want you to know that I am_ truly_ sorry for what happened to your father." He buried his head in his hands. "I looked up to him when I was-"

"Baatar. Stop," she said firmly. "Just stop. I don't blame you for that. You may have built the weapon, but_ you weren't the one using it. _To be honest, I'm more impressed by the mecha-suit than anything I've seen in a very long time. Well, now that it's not trying to kill us anymore."

"Oh. Well, then I'm sorry for your loss. And thank you, I think."

Asami shrugged. "It is what it is. C'mon, Bolin."

"Oh, and Bolin? One last thing." The next thing Bolin knew he was pinned to the wall by a_ surprisingly strong_ Baatar Jr. "If you hurt Opal in_ any way_, and don't marry her, I will make it my life's mission to invent things that serve only to make your life a living nightmare." He released him and sat back down on his bed.

Bolin blinked. "...I'm confused. You_ want_ me to marry your sister?"

"_GET OUT OF MY CELL!"_

* * *

><p>Lin stomped her bare foot into the ground, feeling the vibrations and echoes of the earth. Top soil, concrete. Metal. Large empty pocket of air. Wait. Tunnel, tire tracks stretching on for...miles and miles and...oh for...<p>

"Your gut was right on the money, Mako. Straight out of the hospital, no less." She scowled and opened several stories worth of earth in front of her. "_Another_ set of secret tunnels running below the city and deep into the countryside. We should really just check for these periodically."

Mako nodded and sent a few fireballs down the shaft, lighting it up for a few moments. "Wow. They look like they were made by...really sloppy earthbenders. And are those claw prints?" He asked, raising a brow. "What kind of animal could-oh no. _No."_

Lin pinched her brow. "Badgermoles. How did we_ miss_ this?! This should have been the first thing to fix! Months ago!"

Mako groaned. "I can't even blame Wu for this! This was just bad labor scheduling!"

"...no, we can still blame Wu."

"We can?"

"Sure, why not? He made the tunnel and didn't clean it up."

"I like that plan." Mako chuckled. "You have_ no idea_ how much I've missed being a detective, Chief."

Lin smiled, but only a little. "Trust me, kid. I do. I_ really_ do."

* * *

><p><strong>Special thanks to BSG-Legacy for helping me with the math here. You can also thank him for figuring out a logical explanation for how spirit vines work while still keeping to the lore of the series. Pretty sure we got the math right, but if you spot a mistake, let me know! <strong>

**For reference, 1 Teo (the Mechanist's son from the original series) is equal to one watt of power. A 15 Kiloton atomic bomb generates around 3 terawatts of power when detonated, which is his guess for how much power a single spirit cannon shot is. So, the generator that Baatar Jr. managed to build would be able to power the entire planet basically forever, since it was a consistent rate.**

**Oh, and yes, the next chapter will be dealing with Korra and Asami's...decently large problem. It's important to them, and the story, and it really only makes sense as its own chapter.**

**As always, feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged! No matter how small, scathing, random, or rambling your thoughts may be, I'd love to hear them. **


	7. Contention

**Funny story. I had this mostly done the same day the last chapter went up, but wouldn't you know it, my eternally awesome beta was sick as a dog. But, BSG-Legacy is better now, so here it is.**

**My writing wouldn't be half as good without him. He's the best.**

**Oh, and naming rights for Asami's VTOL go to _both_ Marysocontrary and moonwatcher13, since I slapped both of them together. I couldn't use Satocopter since...well, there aren't any helicopters in Avatar, so the 'copter' part makes no sense. And 'Magno' implies that the magnets are it's primary function. Thanks, you two! **

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 3 - This M.A.D. World of Ours**

**Section 3:**

**"Contention"**

Asami growled and furiously buffed the exterior of her new tilty-rotor plane-ship-bird thing. Logic dictated that she should be organizing her thoughts for what was going to be a painful evening, if she had anything to say about it, but she was too angry to care. All she had to do was wait for that _inconsiderate, impulsive woman _to come knock at her estate's...outdoor open air workshop.

Ugh. Whatever.

She was half a bottle of fire whiskey into her evening's...engineering rampage. So far, she'd taken apart and reassembled the aircraft's entire engine structure. Four or five times. The third time may or may not have been her satomobile's transmission.

The specifics didn't matter. It was put back together again. It was fixed.

Her clothes were smeared with engine grease and oil. Taking her makeup off as soon as she'd gotten home had proven to be a wise move.

The tell-tale jingle of what could only be Naga's saddle came bouncing closer and closer behind her. She didn't turn around because frankly the new bird could use a seventh layer of wax. Or whatever it was she was doing. She might be using soap, as she wasn't paying that much attention.

"Naga, go play, okay? I'll be fine."

Asami scowled into her wax shined reflection. She looked...ew, she looked _terrible_. All battered and angry and exhausted. Clearly, she needed more whiskey. Asami turned off her...whatever it was. It wasn't a blowtorch, she was sure of that. Anyway, she turned the thing off, walked over to her workbench and poured herself another glass. After much internal debate, she poured a second glass and left it on the table.

"Asami?"

Asami didn't look up, choosing instead to stare into her glass. "Drink."

"I'd rather be fully attentive for-"

Asami jabbed a finger at the whiskey. "That's fifty year old whiskey. Drink or pay for it." She heard Korra pick the glass up from the table. "Good. Now, drink it."

"Fine."

Asami looked up at Korra as she knocked back her drink in one go. She raised a brow as Korra coughed and stumbled back into the table. "I didn't say all at once."

"Well, you _implied _it!"

"No, I didn't. You just assumed I did. Good job wasting good liquor, Korra."

"Sorry."

Asami gave her a sidelong glare. "You're not," she said quietly.

Korra narrowed her eyes and set her empty glass on the table. "How long have you been out here?"

"I don't know. What time is it?"

"About 10:30."

"Four hours, then." Asami slammed her fist against the hull of her shiny new flying machine. "She has a name now." She took a sip of her drink, now entirely apathetic as to the taste and aroma of it.

"Magnobird? Tigerwasp?"

"No, those were dumb. The _Satohawk._"

"I liked Magnobird..."

Asami shrugged. "I don't care, you're not marketing. Or advertising. Or PR."

Korra crooked her lips to the side. "You're jazzed."

Asami swirled her drink. "Why thank you."

"No, I mean you're corked."

Asami frowned intensely. "I eat plenty of vegetables, not that it's any of your business."

"Damnit, no, you're plastered!"

Asami scoffed. "Absolutely not. I don't get _plastered. _I've got an edge going, that's all._"_

"Tonight you do, that's for sure. Your voice sounds like it could cut my head off."

Asami pinched her brow. "_Buzzed, _Korra. Tipsy. Between sober and drunk."

Korra screwed up her face. "Oh. I, uh, thought it was typically a bad idea to drink angry. And alone."

"It is," she said casually. "But then, you're why I'm angry, and _she's _why I'm alone," she hissed. "So that...evens out. Or something."

"You're not alone." Korra walked toward her and reached out, only for her to walk backward. She let her arm hang in the air for a moment before dropping it. "Do you want to be alone? I can come back another time."

"No." Asami gave her a hard look and gripped her glass tighter, whitening her knuckles. "Why were you at the prison today, Korra?"

"You already know why."

"No, I just have a very likely assumption." She narrowed her eyes. "I want you to look me in the eye and tell me."

Korra sighed and ran a hand through her hair absently. "I was visiting Kuvira."

"Of course you were. And _why, _exactly, did you think visiting her was a good idea? Help me understand your clearly misguided logic." she seethed.

Korra huffed. "I wanted to see if she had information about the vines, okay?"

"Are you the only person she'll talk to?"

"No, she's been very open since her arrest."

Asami downed the rest of her drink and settled the glass on her workbench. "Then why were you there? Why couldn't you just ask _someone else_ to do it for you? Why did it have to be you?"

"I just...needed to be sure."

"Korra, if it were that simple, you'd have told me at the prison. We wouldn't even be having this conversation, so _clearly you're not telling me something!_" she growled.

Korra opened her mouth, closed it, raised a finger, dropped her arm and grumbled. "You really don't want to know, okay?"

Asami's entire body tensed and she felt bile rise in her stomach. It wasn't supposed to be like that. Everything was supposed to be _simple, _just once. Just once. She glared at her. "I'm losing patience. What are you hiding, Korra?"

Korra frowned pleadingly. "Asami, please, this is just one of those things that you don't need to know about. I promise I'll tell you everything once it's all over. I don't want to hurt you, and talking about this now is going to do that."

Asami scowled. "You're hurting me already by _not talking about this stupid thing!_ Just say it! So help me, Korra, I'm _this _close to-"

"This wasn't the first time! I've been visiting her for almost three months," she blurted.

Asami felt all of the anger and rage drain out of her in an instant. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of freezing water over her, drowning her fire. She licked the inside of her lips. The metaphorical knife was resting just against her skin, right under her shoulder blade.

No. No, no. No, not Korra, too. She had no words.

Korra sighed. "I don't think she's evil, just misguided. I feel like there's a real chance she can _help _fix this mess she's made, and that she really truly wants to. But she can't do that unless we give her a chance, so that's...that's what I've been doing." She crossed her arms. "Trying to understand her better."

And there it was, another deep gouge into her back. It fit so well next to all the others. She'd lost count at how many stab wounds she'd endured. Close to a dozen, at least. "You're trying to make friends with her, is that what you're saying?" she asked quietly.

"Sort of."

"She killed my father, Korra."

"I know, but-"

"She killed my dad." Her eye twitched.

"Asami-"

"_SHE KILLED MY DAD!" _she screamed, all of her fire and rage surging back to life. The knife kept twisting, but she didn't care. She'd spent too long just _enduring _it all. Not anymore.

Korra groaned. "Don't you think I know that!? It's why I didn't tell you!"

"She is going to go to trial, they'll convict her, and then she'll be executed. It is _that_ simple. That is the _end of the conversation_!"

"It's not that simple. It's _really _not."

"Why the hell not?" she yelled, flinging her arms into the air. "Explain to me how justice is now suddenly complicated for a mass-murdering tyrannical dictator who tried to kill _everyone we know and love_!"

Korra clenched her jaw. "There isn't going to be a trial."

"Even better!"

"No, Asami, it's...she's not going to be executed. She's going to be 'working' for the United Republic. The politics involved are confusing, but Tenzin assures me that it's the best decision we can make."

Asami's eyes bugged out of her head and slowly advanced on her, balling her hands into fists. "And you agree with this decision? To let her live? That she be given the chance to redeem herself? After _everything_ she's done? After she killed my father?"

"I do. I'm sorry, Asami, but I do."

Asami felt something snap in the deepest, darkest pit of her mind. All violence and boiling rage. If she didn't move, she'd...she didn't know what she'd do. Nothing good, and it wouldn't be worth it. "_Fine._" She turned on her heel and began stomping across the grounds toward her front door.

"Hey, wait!" Korra followed her, because of course she would. "I'm not asking you to forgive her!"

"Good, because I never will!"

"Okay, well, I'm also not saying you should trust her."

"Won't happen either!"

"But I need you to understand that this is what's best for the world. Can you please try to look at the bigger picture here?"

"You're the Avatar, I _get it. _The world is out of balance and this is how you're going to fix it," she growled. "Believe me, I understand perfectly well where your loyalties lie."

"Loyalty? This isn't personal! It has _nothing to do with you_!"

Asami spun on her heel and screamed right in her face. "_IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ME! _How can you not understand that?!" She shoved Korra backward. "How do you not see that?!" Her rage is nearly at its boiling point. Everything she'd bottled up, every grievance, every cruel twist of fate started to rise to the surface.

And for the first time in over a decade, Asami couldn't stop it. She didn't even want to.

"Okay, fine maybe that was a poor choice of words!" Korra frowned intensely. "What the hell do you want from me, Asami?! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I hurt you!"

Asami felt her whole body twitch and spasm. "But you're not sorry you did it in the first place!"

"No! I'm not! I did what I thought was right, and you can't just magically change my mind about that! I didn't have a _choice_, okay?!"

"Oh, that is just the biggest load of shit you've ever said, Korra!" Asami growled and shoved her shoulders again. "No choice? How stupid do you think I am?! You _always _have a choice, and nobody forced you to go down there and make good with the monster who _murdered my father!_"

Korra stumbled backward a few steps and looked between her shoulders and Asami, her eyes slowly turning hard. "I didn't have a choice."

"Why the hell not?!"

Korra balled her hands into fists. "I can't...I can't tell you that!"

Asami snarled. "Why?"

"I can't tell you that either! I shouldn't have even told you that I couldn't tell you that I can't...tell you..." She groaned. "DAMMIT!"

"You didn't think it through, did you? No, of course not! You didn't think that _maybe you should have at least discussed this with me!?" _Asami shoved her a third time, harder. "Just like everybody else! Knife! In the back! Twisting and gouging!

"I didn't stab you in the back!"

"And yet you've offered no explanation or evidence of that! Why should you need to?! You're the _Avatar," _growled Asami, shoving her a fourth time, and much harder. "What's wrong with you?! _Fight back. _Fight for your convictions, Korra, because clearly you think you're doing _everything_ right!"

Korra grounded her feet into the earth to counter her stumble and glared straight at her. "I _am _the Avatar, and whether you like it or not, I _am _doing what's right."

"And apparently betrayal is the _right _thing to do in this day and age! Amazing!" Asami cracked her neck and knuckles. "No. You know what? You don't _get _to stab me in the back like everybody else. I won't let you. This time, it's right in the front."

"_I DIDN'T STAB YOU IN THE BACK!_" Korra flung her arms up into the air. "And I am sure as hell not going to _fight_ you!"

"Why not?!"

"A thousand reasons! Ten thousand reasons! It should be obvious!"

"_Korra!_"

"What?!"

Asami bit her lower lip and set her jaw. "I need this," she said softly.

Korra narrowed her eyes. "No, you don't."

"Yes. I _do._"

"This is insane."

"Don't you think I know that?!"

"Then _why_? No, you don't have an answer. I know you don't, because I've been here! You want to beat the crap out of something because you just _need to." _ She patted her stomach. "You've got all this rage _festering _in your belly, and it wants out, so it's either going to leave your body through violence or passion. It's the same as firebending!"

"I'm _not a firebender_! That doesn't apply!"

"Yes! It does! You're overflowing with rage, and you have no idea what to do with it other than to hit something! I can feel it, and so can you. No matter how angry you are at me, and I am at you for _taking this way too personally and refusing to see reason_, there's a much better option than sparring angry."

Asami gritted her teeth. What was left of her normal, logical and rational self was urging her to listen. That Korra was right, and had her pegged. But she was just..._so angry_. So damn angry. She still had to at least hear her out, though. "Okay, what is it, then?"

"Angry sex."

Or not.

Asami's eyes widened. "_Seriously, _Korra?!"

"It is! That's the passion! First you're drinking angry, now you want to _spar _angry? This is the kind of thing where you can lose control!"

"And you think that I _won't_ in bed?!"

"I _know_ you wouldn't." Korra's expression softened. "And you know that I wouldn't either." She sighed. "Look, if you _really _want this then I'll go along with it. I don't like it, but I've been there, and I remember...that I wouldn't have listened to me." She frowned.

"You stabbed me in the back, Korra. I really have no intention of sleeping with you right now."

"Okay, all right. You're absolutely sure, then? That _this _is what you want?"

"_YES, DAMMIT!"_ she said, wiping budding tears from her eyes.

Korra rolled her shoulders and dropped into her stance. "Okay. No bending. First blood?"

"First to _yield." _

Korra scowled. "Fine. Have it your way."

Asami punched her in the stomach without a moment's hesitation. No time for thinking. No planning. No more strategy. Just rage. Which, of course, was how she forgot that she wasn't _supposed _to go on the offensive. She was about _countering, _and had just done something profoundly stupid.

She hadn't waited. She hadn't listened. And her punishment for that was going to hurt like hell.

Korra managed to get two particularly brutal strikes in before Asami was able to regain her footing. Knee to the stomach, fist to her sternum and nearly connected with an elbow strike to her shoulder. But, she countered. And overwhelmed.

Asami pulled Korra's elbow down as she pivoted, forcing her jaw into her knee. She followed up by twisting Korra's arm behind her back and slamming her fist into her kidney. Korra broke her hold through sheer strength and spun around to swing at her head. Asami dodged and deflected all but one of the onslaught. She was struck square in the forehead, and from there...Asami lost what was left of her self-control.

Before she knew what was happening, their fight lost all semblance of tactics and restraint. It was a brawl. The kind of thing one would find in a dank basement in the seedier parts of Republic City. Just two people beating the crap out of one another without any regard for their own safety. Korra came at her with so much force that it became impossible to deflect anything. And, in turn, Asami raged at her so quickly that dodging no longer proved effective. When she avoided one strike, she'd move straight into the impact of another. Eventually, Asami overextended herself and was almost instantly caught, grappled and thrown.

Asami flew across the concrete, rolling on instinct. She pushed off of her arms and slammed her feet into Korra's charging sternum, mounting and pinning her to the ground for a few precious seconds. She punched her in the jaw with a roar and...she wasn't retaliating. No overwhelming energy or muscle. They were both bruised and battered all over, but...surely Korra was faking it.

Asami slowly cooled off, her violent rage flowing out of her with each passing breath. She didn't feel...cleansed, as it were, but good deal of it was lifted off of her shoulders. She wiped her sweaty brow as her shoulders slacked. "You have to say 'yield', Korra."

No response.

For a brief moment, it occurred to Asami that she may have accidentally killed the Avatar. She cupped Korra's face with a terrified expression and gently clapped her cheek of a few times. "Korra? Korra, wake up."

She didn't.

She'd won. She'd knocked the Avatar unconscious.

Asami touched their foreheads together. "Dammit."

* * *

><p>Korra felt a splitting pain in her skull, the sensation pulsing throughout her head. And everywhere else. She groaned and opened her eyes, wincing as she accidentally looked directly into a ceiling lamp. She was in Asami's home office, somehow. She slowly sat up on the couch and massaged her aching head, ignoring the cold pack that fell onto the floor.<p>

Korra turned toward the sound of ruffling papers. Asami was sitting at her desk, bruised decently enough, sorting through documents with a tired expression. There was a bottle of whiskey next to her, along with a mostly empty glass.

"Guess you won." Korra rested her head in her hands and grunted. "I feel like I got hit by an elephant-rhino."

Asami didn't look at her. "There's a bowl of water on the bar to your right. I did what I could, but I only know so much first-aid."

"Thanks."

"Just because I'm enraged beyond words doesn't mean I'm not going to pick you up when you fall," she said flatly.

Korra nodded silently. She coaxed the water out of the bowl and smoothed it across her head, the warm blue glow healing the aches and pains that screamed through her skull. She moved on to the rest of her body, repeating the process. After a few minutes she felt the pain subside and returned the water to the bowl.

"Do you need any...?"

"No, I'm fine."

Korra raised a brow. "No, you're not. You're bruised all over."

"I'm _fine._"

"You're being ridiculous." Korra crooked her lips to the side and bent the water around her hands. She stomped behind Asami and, before she could protest, began healing the purple welts on her back and arms. "First we spar, then I heal everything. Do you really want to walk into work tomorrow looking like you got into a turf war with the Triads?"

Asami grunted. "It would certainly inspire fear in some of my more...troublesome clients. And don't try to distract me. I'm still furious with you."

Korra raised a brow. "You don't sound too angry."

Asami slammed her papers down on her desk and gave her one of the most terrifying glares of her life. Her eyes weren't just hiding flames; they were _on fire. _She didn't break eye contact as she knocked back the rest of her glass. "I am."

"I can...see that now," she said, finishing up the last nasty bruise she could sense on Asami's shoulder. Korra flicked the water back into the bowl and sat down on the couch.

Asami scowled and returned to her papers. "And you? Why aren't you angry? You were right. I...lost control."

"You wanted a fight. We fought." Korra shrugged. "Like I said, I've been there before, so I can't really be angry at you for it. Sometimes it's the only way to let it out."

"That's hardly an excuse. I still took my anger out on _you. _There are a thousand other things I could have done."

"No, just the one, and you weren't interested."

Asami frowned. "There's obviously more options, but still...yours makes a little more sense in hindsight. I should have listened."

"Probably, yeah. That was _a lot _of anger, though."

"It was."

"Anger because I hurt you."

"A significant part of it, yes."

"Then it sounds like you were just trying to make us even, then. And vent some pent up rage."

Asami pinched her brow. "That is _not_ how pain works, Korra."

"Pain is pain." Korra rested her arms on her thighs. "Look, I hurt you, you got angry, then I got angry because you couldn't see my side of things. Then you got angrier since I can't tell you _why _I hurt you, and I'm fully aware of how childish and stupid that sounds, but..." Korra huffed. "Asami, if anyone asks, I did not tell you Kuvira was going to be 'working' for the United Republic. Or that me visiting her was in any way related to that. I was not supposed to tell you, or anyone, that at all, but...well, you ran into me at the prison and…" She sighed. "I couldn't exactly keep it from you then."

"Then why not just tell me the rest now?"

"It would be _really bad_ for the both of us if I did that, also I can't, accurately, since honestly it's super complicated and the only thing I know for sure are the consequences for me talking. About this. So...we didn't have this conversation."

Asami frowned. "Fine. Whatever. It's not like it changes how _furious _I am with you. Feel like talking?"

"We may as well. I've got nothing better to do."

"That's true, but, I thought, with your injury, you'd at least want to wait until morning."

Korra held up her hand. "Asami. I'm fine. I _just _healed the both of us."

"Oh. Good." She cleared her throat. "Remember when Mako stabbed you in the back and told Raiko about our plan to get General Iroh to support the Southern Water Tribe during the civil war?"

"Wow, you're going to jump _straight_ to that?"

"You were unconscious. I had time to organize my thoughts."

"Figures." Korra frowned. "Yes. I remember. _Why_ are we talking about this?"

"How did that make you feel?"

"What kind of question is that?! I felt betrayed! Like he'd stabbed me in the back." She blinked. "Okay, this is _not _the same thing."

Asami looked at her, unamused. "Why? Because my family is _already _dead? Because your cause is more just than my closure? Because of some _mystery _reason?"

"I _didn't _betray you. It only _looks _like I did, and okay that sounds even worse." Korra sighed. "I went behind your back, yes, and I hated doing that, but we'd be having the same conversation even if I didn't. Maybe not as heated, but I knew you'd take this personally."

Asami grabbed a small letter off of her desk and began folding it. "There isn't another way for me to react. I'm not going to just roll over and accept everything you do as being right on the sole fact that _you're the Avatar_. That's not how life works. That's not how _we _work." She finished folding her letter, which was now a paper airplane, and set it down. "Okay, Mako was a bad example."

"You think?"

"Consider this." Asami flattened her lips and leaned over her desk. "What if Zaheer actually _did _murder your father, right in front of you, and then I start visiting him in prison? I tell you that he's repented and a new man, and he's going to be set free to help clean up the mess he made. How would you feel?"

Korra clenched her teeth. "Like beating the ever loving snot out of you for suggesting such a thing." She balled her hands into fists. "It's not the same thing, though! Kuvira _surrendered._ I talked her down."

Asami groaned. "They're principally the same situation."

"No, they're really not! Zaheer wanted to destroy everything, Kuvira actually _wanted _to help. That's a huge difference!"

Asami smacked her forehead. "Damnit, Korra! We're not talking about this on a geopolitical level! It's about _me. _This is _personal_! My dad was murdered. The woman you're befriending killed him. Doesn't that seem wrong to you? At all?"

"Sort of? I really try not to think about it like that." Korra covered her face with her hands. "I can't _afford _to think small like that with things like this, Asami. I'm the Avatar. It comes with the job. If I start letting everything get to me personally, I'd...I'd lose my mind!"

"And you expect me to live like that? Always thinking of the bigger picture? I think about it a lot, but not when the small stuff matters, and _this isn't small stuff, Korra!"_

"I get it! She killed your dad!"

"Okay, you know what?" Asami grumbled and threw her paper airplane at her. Perfectly. "Read it. Maybe _that _will help you understand what I've lost. Maybe you just need some more context!"

"Fine." Korra snatched the letter out of the air and carefully unfolded it. "This is…" The postmark was more than four years ago.

_Asami,_

_I hope you are happy with the choices you've made. Now, benders have taken both your mother and I from your life, thanks in no small part to you and your perverse, misguided notions of morality and justice. This is my fault, of course. I should have raised you better._

Korra looked up at Asami. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Read."

So she did.

_I should have been more attentive, and made sure you stayed away from the corrupting influence of the benders who live in this city. I should have brought you into the movement from the very beginning. Perhaps you would have learned the meaning of family if I'd done that, instead of discarding it when I offered you a chance to change the world for the better. _

_Yet you chose to stand by that firebender, who decided not to stand by you in turn. That is the feeling of betrayal. A small one, but a betrayal all the same. Hold on to that feeling. Remember it. It's what you did to me, it's what he did to you, and it will be what the rest of your so-called friends do given the chance. They will use you and exploit your kindness until you are nothing more than a shadow of your former self. A husk where a woman used to be._

Korra looked away from the letter and wiped away the brewing tears from her eyes. "...this hurts so much more. After getting to know him. And, wow...some of that sort of happened." She felt a stabbing pain in her chest, far stronger than she would have ever expected. Yet, it felt...right. As if she _should _be feeling it. Maybe it was her eternal desire to empathize with everyone, but...that wouldn't be fair to Asami.

Asami released a heavy sigh. "I know."

_The daughter I raised would not have succumbed to this detestable temptation. The daughter I protected for twelve years would not have turned against me in our own home. The daughter I raised would never ally herself with the Avatar; the world's greatest example of inequality._

_You have destroyed nearly thirty years of work in a manner of months. Future Industries will fall, and you with it. You will lose everything, just as I have. And since you had the wisdom to throw away the only person left in this world who truly loved you, there will be no one to help you when you are at your lowest point. _

_You are unworthy of the Sato name. You are not my daughter._

_Hiroshi Sato_

Korra carefully placed the letter on the table and closed her eyes. "How many more of those are there?"

"Like those? Six. After that, he gets progressively more apologetic and repentant. It took him eight letters to finally sign them 'Dad'."

"Why haven't you _burned _them?"

Asami shook her head. "I can't. Despite all of the hatred and rage, it's more than I ever had to help me remember my mother." She stared off into space. "There was a point where I couldn't recall what she looked like. What she sounded like. I must have been twelve. Dad took me aside and handed me a record. He didn't say what it was, but he insisted that I listen to it."

Korra furrowed her brow. "You...I didn't see that in the tree."

Asami shrugged. "It skipped over _a lot _of things, and most of it wasn't my doing. I don't think it was meant to be used that way."

"You're probably right. What was on the record?"

"It was this thirty second recording, apparently a full seven minutes were scratched off, but it was enough." She smiled sadly. "She was singing."

"Your mom was a _terrible _singer."

Asami snorted. "I know, but it was enough." She massaged her temples. "I...have not been mourning well." She took a deep breath. "I treated him like he was dead before, and I got through that. Somehow, the second time is so much more difficult."

"Maybe it's because you _do _have someone to help you this time. It might make it more...real, I guess."

"Maybe. It's rare that my anger manifests as, well, _real _anger. It's normally just productivity and energy. I haven't lost my temper in...a _very _long time." Asami shot her a threatening look. "But that doesn't mean that this is okay. It's not."

Korra frowned. "I doubt either of us are going to change our minds on this. That letter just made me feel terrible. Didn't really change my outlook." She screwed up her face. "Wait a minute. Asami, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you're letting your emotions get the better of you."

Asami raised a very unamused brow. "Oh. How surprising. It's not like my anger and grief is _unwarranted _or anything like that." She sighed. "Why are you so _invested _in Kuvira, anyway?"

"I would have thought, if anyone could see it, it'd be you." Korra bowed her head and took a shallow breath. "...you really don't know? "

"No. That's why I asked."

"She's me, Asami. She's me if I fell a little too far. If I grew up angry. If I didn't have anyone around who loved me." She gazed up at Asami with a terrified look in her eyes. "She's a living, _breathing, _example of what happens if I lose control, okay?"

Asami was silent for a long moment. "You think that if you help her redeem herself, you'll prove to yourself that you won't make the same mistakes."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So it _is _personal for you."

"Don't turn this around on me! It's the best choice we have! This is the only way to move forward!"

"You don't _even know _if that's true or not! Tenzin just said it was!"

"Well, I trust his judgement! You want me to call him and have him explain the politics?"

Asami frowned. "I don't care about the politics, Korra! This is about you and me, nothing else. Look, I may not be able to stop this from happening, but you're still…" She pinched her brow. "Do you even _like _her?"

"Of course not! At most, I'll tolerate her. And really, once she's done her job, we don't have to be in the same room ever again, so it doesn't matter! How could I possibly _like _her? She killed your dad and _tried _to kill us!"

Asami's entire face twitched and fell straight onto her desk. "_WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT EARLIER!?"_

Korra jumped up to her feet and matched her intensity. "_OBVIOUSLY, _I ASSUMED YOU KNEW THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN _LIKING SOMEBODY _AND WANTING TO SEE THEM BETTER THEMSELVES FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE WORLD!"

Asami massaged her temples. "No, that wasn't clear at all!"

"Oh, well, then I'm sorry! For not...explaining that very well."

"It's...fine, I guess." She closed her eyes for a long moment. "I feel _a lot _better knowing that you're not actually friends with her."

Korra sat back down on the couch. "That's good."

"Yes. I no longer feel like there's a giant knife in my back. Now it's a slightly smaller knife, so that's progress. I still don't approve of what you're doing, even if I understand the reasoning behind it. Her...'working' for the government. I'm assuming it's some form of community service, or face execution?"

"I can't tell you that."

_"Korra."_

"I _promise_ to explain all of this the second I can."

"Okay. All right. Was she going to be executed, originally?"

"Well, yeah, everybody knew that. _That _many well documented war crimes? No question."

"Then my assumption was correct. No, don't say anything. Seriously, don't. I'll never be okay with this." She sighed. "But, at least I understand...your larger reasoning. And the smaller one."

"Yeah." Korra stared at her boots. "I feel like that's enough. I get why you feel this way, even if it's going to drive me up a wall half the time. But I get it, and that's...I think that's the most important part."

Asami nodded slowly. "I...suppose that's true." She reorganized some of the papers on her desk.

For a few minutes, they simply sat in silence. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either.

Asami cleared her throat. "...so you really think Magnobird is better than Satohawk?"

"Actually, Satohawk is kind of growing on me. It sounds intimidating."

"That was the idea, so, I guess it worked."

Korra lied down on the couch. "Hey, know what your next project should be?"

"I do." Asami scribbled a few things down. "An underwater train connecting the United Republic to the Fire Nation."

"That sounds _awesome."_

"I know. I'm really excited about it. What was your idea?"

Korra shrugged. "It...wasn't as innovative. I was just going to say you should try and make some...chi boosting suit thing, but it sounds ridiculous saying it out loud."

Asami laughed once. "No, no. I actually already tried that one. Didn't end too well. Mako lit himself on fire, Chief Beifong tore up a city block, I could have sworn I told you this story."

"It was in the postscript of one of your letters. I laughed so hard I cried."

Asami snorted. "Yeah. That was an interesting six months."

Korra hummed. "So, if the…"

"Bending Booster Suit."

"Thanks. If the Bending Booster Suit is off the table, what about...some sort of smaller mecha-suit? Like the VarriMechs, but more compact."

"Huh." Asami narrowed her eyes. "How compact are you thinking?"

"I guess only a little bigger than regular body armor? Sort of like the RCPD metalbender uniform, but thicker and with more...things."

"Is this something for benders, or non-benders?"

Korra looked up and shrugged. "Can't it be both?"

Asami tapped the tip of her pen against her lips. "...there's no reason it _can't, _I suppose. Though finding an appropriate power source will be a problem, not to mention the logistics involved in wiring such a thing so it doesn't electrocute you…" she said, trailing off into rapid fire mumbling and sketching.

"Uhhh, Asami?"

"Hm?"

"Are you actually designing this thing?"

"I am."

"In the middle of the night?"

"Yes."

"Okay. If I fall asleep on the couch it's because I'm tired, not because I'm bored."

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>EDIT: I may be doomed to edit this chapter for all eternity. Sigh. Every time I think I have it right, I remember something else, and have to restructure it. Angst is HARD.<strong>

**I've never had to write angst or...really anything like this before. It needed to be irrational, circular, and just plain angry at times, as that's...well, that's how couples fight. And sometimes things just aren't resolved or fixed. It ain't all sunshine and roses. Nothing ever is.**

**As for how physical it got, well, they're both fighters and it's already pretty firmly established in canon that they _both _use it as a form of stress relief. I've even had them reference that fact in this series. Asami does in "Bust Some Heads" when talking to Mako and Korra does in "Seaweed" after flipping the truck. Also, they're fighting on essentially even terms. **

**The complicated reasoning behind why Korra wasn't able to talk about Kuvira with Asami will be revealed in the next chapter, thankfully.**

**As always, feedback is appreciated and encouraged. No matter how small, random, scathing or rambling your thoughts may be, I'd love to hear them. **


	8. Rotunda

**I made some significant changes to the previous chapter, so if you haven't read it today (1/29/2015), then I suggest you go back and read it again. Otherwise, a few plot points here won't make any sense. **

**Beta'd by BSG-Legacy**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 3 - This M.A.D. World of Ours**

**Section 4:**

**"Rotunda"**

General Iroh contemplated his next move. The First Division of the United Forces had been slowly advancing east into ex-Empire territory since Kuvira's defeat, and they'd had their fair share of scuffles with well equipped fanatics and bandits.

A few bandit camps had even managed to stockpile spirit vines, which the United Forces were thankfully able to secure before they fell into the wrong hands.

The goal was to survey Ba Sing Se, and get a good read on the situation there, while also clearing a path for the rest of their forces to follow behind them. So far, they'd been able to march just past the Great Divide, which had been a logistical nightmare to cross with a full military division.

He stared down at his map of the former Earth Kingdom and tapped his finger on the landmark labeled 'The Serpent's Pass'. "This is where we start. We can bypass most of the mainland if we fly over the sea and have pathfinders secure a forward base for the rest of our forces. The Earth Empire didn't have a navy, so we shouldn't be detected by any holdouts. If we want to make it to Ba Sing Se in one piece, this is the way to do it." He looked up at his commanders, waiting for input. They all nodded. "If no one has any objections, we'll begin making preparations immediately."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sirs, but we've got a sandstorm coming our way."

Iroh looked out from his command tent to see one his scouts, a younger woman from the Fire Nation, sprint toward them. "Sandstorm? We're not in a desert." Far off in the distance behind the woman and beyond his camp was the single largest cyclone he'd ever seen. Bit by bit, it was getting larger. And closer. "What in the world…" He extended his open palm to the scout, and she handed him her telescope.

As Iroh walked through camp with the scout close behind, his soldiers began creeping out of each and every barracks. Slowly at first, a few at a time, but it very quickly turned into a crowd. All of them gaped at the peculiar sight.

Iroh extended the telescope and sighted the cyclone. It was at least two hundred feet in diameter and definitely composed of sand. The way it moved struck him as odd, though. Sandstorms didn't behave like tornadoes. Its shape was also oddly symmetrical, like a perfectly molded drill. Then, something clicked in the back of his mind.

Old, sage advice.

"_You know, I was in a similar situation once. My platoon had crawled through the desert with no water for a week, but when we finally located the only oasis for a hundred miles, it was surrounded by angry sandbenders. I realized our only chance to get to the water was to drop in from above."_

General Iroh increased the magnification and paled. "That's no sandstorm." He turned back to his men, conviction burning in his golden eyes. "We're under attack! Battalion commanders, form a defensive perimeter around the vines! Protect them at all costs!"

His soldiers scattered in a swift, orderly fashion. The combat alert horn began to blare throughout the camp and Iroh took another closer look at the source of the cyclone.

It took a considerable amount of willpower not to drop the telescope.

"Sandbenders, sir?" asked the scout.

"No. Just one."

* * *

><p>"I think you're taking the term 'bath time' too literally, Korra."<p>

Korra sat across from Asami in her luxurious marble bathtub. She smiled and raised a ball of water into the air, putting it into a controlled spin. "I disagree. Baths are a great time to practice waterbending, because you can't use your legs."

"That's...not quite what I mean. Do you want me to get some bath toys for you? Honestly, I think I still have my old ones in the basement…"

"I don't know what qualifies as a bath toy." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Unless that's-"

"It's not a euphemism."

"Oh. Well, then is it a...doll or something?"

Asami shrugged. "Depends. When I was a kid, I used to always take my baths with a wooden turtle-duck."

Korra gaped into a wide smile. "That's _adorable._" She cocked her head toward behind her. "C'mere. I want to see if we can cuddle while I do this."

"You are ridiculous." Asami laughed heartily and shifted across the bath, resting her _very _warm and toned back against Korra's chest. "This doesn't really work as well without your arms around me, and before you suggest it, no water tentacles don't count." She hummed contently and closed her eyes. "Do you use your legs a lot in waterbending?"

"...not really, no."

Korra blinked.

"Wow. It took me this long to realize my dad said that just to _get me in the tub_."

Asami chuckled. "It makes so much sense that you were the kind of toddler who _hated _baths."

"I didn't hate them. I just...there were better and cooler things to do!"

"Mhmm."

"Not a lot of games to play in the bath."

"Oh?" Asami turned herself around and looked up at her with eyes that were somehow still smokey despite the fact that _there wasn't any makeup on them. _She placed one hand on Korra's stomach and cupped her cheek with the other. "I think I know of a game that might be fun..." she said, tracing lazy circles on her abdomen.

Korra blushed, but only a little. "What kind of game?"

"An endurance challenge. It's called 'How long can Korra keep the water in the air'?"

"...how do I play?"

Asami smirked. "Oh, you don't." She brought her lips right next to her ear. "_I do_."

"Ooohhkay, I like this idea."

"Korra! Raiko is holding an emergency-OH SORRY SORRY SORRY!"

Korra and Asami screamed as Jinora's blue spirit flickered to existence in front of them. In less than a second, Korra shifted the water she was bending into a cloud of thick fog, shielding them from Jinora's eyes.

"What the hell, Jinora?! Don't you know how to knock?!" yelled Korra.

"It's _spirit projection! _How am I supposed to knock if there's _no door?!_"

"I don't know! It's your technique, you figure it out!"

Asami sighed. "Guys, calm down. Jinora, you said something about an _emergency_?"

"Yes! Raiko is holding an emergency meeting in his office _right now _and asked me to find you guys. Asami, you should bring your notes for the thing you're working on, whatever that is. Dad says it's _really bad_, but apparently he's not legally allowed to tell me more than that. So, get over there!"

Korra groaned. "Ugh! Fine! This had better be some huge crisis, or I am going to tear him a new one! Raiko, not your father."

"You _want _a crisis?" asked Asami.

"Well, no but...you get my point. Jinora? You still there?"

No response.

Korra reformed the fog into water and dropped it back into the tub. "Remote mood killing. The future of the Air Nation, right there."

Asami snorted. "I guess."

Korra furrowed a brow. "...wait. If it's an emergency meeting then…" She closed her eyes, placed her palm on the marble counter beside her, and took a deep breath. "Let me check something real quick."

"What are you doing?"

"Using spirit energy to spy on people."

* * *

><p>Jinora opened her eyes, finding herself back in Raiko's office. She looked around the room and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable since Raiko, his bodyguards, Lin, Kuvira, Mako, Zhu Li, Varrick, and her father were all staring at her intently.<p>

"Well, are they coming?" asked Raiko.

Jinora opened her mouth, but found she couldn't speak. Her entire head turned red.

Lin snickered into a loud bout of laughter. Mako looked at the ceiling with a badly hidden smile. Everyone else was baffled, and Jinora wasn't about to _explain _it. Instead she gave Raiko a silent nod.

"Good. Thank you for your help. Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you leave."

Jinora got to her feet and began walking toward the door. Then, just as she was about to leave, Kuvira actually _squealed _and shuddered.

"I, uhm, must have gotten the hiccups."

* * *

><p>"I was right." Korra frowned. "Kuvira's there. <em>Finally.<em>"

"Finally?" Asami scowled.

Korra cleared her throat. "Uh, it well, since she's not in prison, it means that...things happened, and once I get Raiko's clearance…" She bit her lip. "I can explain everything."

"That was _weeks_ ago." Asami stared at her for a few moments. "What the hell has Raiko been doing?"

"You know I can't answer that."

Asami huffed. "Okay. Fine. Let's just get this over with."

* * *

><p>Asami bursted into Raiko's office with a folder in one hand and Korra in the other. "What's wrong? What's the emergency?"<p>

Kuvira, who was thankfully on the _other _side of the room between Mako and Lin, didn't seem to be interested in her at all. Her eyes were solely on Korra. Well, that was lucky. The fallen dictator looked lethargic, and Asami felt a sense of morbid satisfaction in that.

Raiko motioned behind her. "Close the door."

Korra slammed it shut. "There. What happened?"

"What I'm about to tell you, as well as everything said in this room, is classified top secret. Revealing this information to anyone who is not present, without my explicit permission, is a crime tantamount to high treason." He folded his arms behind his back. "Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded, even Kuvira.

"Good. Approximately seventy-two hours ago, General Iroh and the First Division of the United Forces were attacked just south of the Great Divide. They suffered minor casualties, but the Spirit Vines they'd been securing through their march to Ba Sing Se were stolen. They've only just now restored communications."

Asami's eyes widened. "Do we know who did it?"

"That's all we know so far, as that was General Iroh's preliminary report. We've been waiting for the two of you before he gets into more detail."

Korra looked around the room. "...but he's not here."

"_Well, not physically, but with the power of radio, I may as well be."_

"Oh. Right."

"_To answer your question, Miss Sato, we do not. As far as we can tell, we were overwhelmed by a single assailant."_

The entire room was silent.

"_...hello? Are you receiving me, Mister President?"_

"Yes, General, we were simply very...surprised that this was the act of a single person. Are you absolutely positive that is the case?"

"_Almost entirely. I'm putting this together from a few hundred reports but we're nearly certain it was only one bender. A master sandbender, considering he was able to create a massive sandstorm without any sort of body movement. I was able to catch a glimpse of him before they arrived at the camp, but I couldn't make out much more than the fact he was wearing a brown cloak and hood."_

Kuvira blanched and seemed to struggle in her bindings.

"Typical." Lin grumbled."Height, build, gender?"

"_Undetermined. The sandstorm made visibility almost non-existent."_

"Of course it did..." said Lin, pinching her brow.

Korra raised a brow. "_Sandbending_? Seriously?"

"Many of the techniques employed by sandbenders are quite similar to airbending," said Tenzin. "In theory, a skilled enough sandbender _could _mimic the abilities of an airbender in conjunction with regular earthbending."

Korra shrugged. "Well, that wouldn't be the craziest thing we've seen."

Varrick and Zhu Li exchanged a look. "Feel like I've heard this story before…" mused Varrick. "Don't think I wrote it, though."

"General, this may sound like an odd question, but were any of your armored vehicles destroyed by this person?" asked Kuvira.

"_...Mister President, may I ask why Kuvira is present?"_

Asami frowned. "I would also very much like to know that."

"As of today, Kuvira is acting as a special consultant to the United Republic on all things regarding her former Empire, re-stabilizing the Earth Kingdom, and Spirit Vine weaponry."

"What he _means _to say is that I'm here because I'm more useful alive than I am dead. If you want me to help you, at least be transparent. I'm also bound in chains, _in addition _to being chi-blocked, if that alleviates some of your concerns."

Asami tried _very, very _hard not to smile. Only Korra elbowing her in the ribs got her to stop.

"Watch your tone, Kuvira. You know how this works. One step out of line, and you're done. End of story."

Kuvira frowned. "You should remember that I am doing this voluntarily."

Tenzin sighed. "Please, everyone, can we focus on the matter at hand? _Spirit Vines _were stolen."

Varrick clapped his hands together. "Which is _bad_, in case anybody forgot that little fact. Really bad! As in, _end of the world _bad!"

Mako slapped his forehead. "No one needed to be reminded of that!"

"_I agree with Master Tenzin, and Varrick, I suppose. Though I have reservations with discussing confidential information-"_

Raiko pinched his brow. "General. Just answer Kuvira's damn question."

"_Yes sir. Two of our airships were shorn clean in half and several mecha-tanks were...well, they're gone. We're still finding bits and pieces around the area."_

Asami raised her brows, remembering how tough and sturdy the armor plating on the mecha-tanks she'd sold to the United Forces were. "That...shouldn't be possible. No bender could move sand fast enough in order shred the armor by _sheer friction._"

Kuvira furrowed her brow. "It shouldn't be possible, but it very much is. I've encountered this before."

"_When?" _asked General Iroh, sounding a bit more urgent.

"Ba Sing Se. Three and a half years ago."

Varrick laughed once. "Oh, right! That time when Bolin lavabended the outer walls!"

"What?" Kuvira looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "What the hell are you talking abo-"

* * *

><p>Kuvira's fleet of airships flew over Ba Sing Se's outer wall. The walls began to shudder, and she held her gaze, refusing to blink. She wouldn't miss a single moment.<p>

The great outer wall of Ba Sing Se splintered and slowly began to crumble from the bottom up. The hardened and now weakened earth, built centuries ago, was being ripped apart by her legions.

Kuvira narrowed her eyes and held her hands behind her back. There would be time for celebration later.

Her soldiers worked in tandem, grounding themselves as they pulled down the wall with more and more power. VarriMechs drilled into the melted foundation, shredding the rock into dirt. Her tanks blasted apart slab after slab of the wall, their superior firepower puncturing the ancient structure.

Finally, it had reached its tipping point. The wall wavered, shuddered, and collapsed in on itself in a massive cloud of dust and debris that echoed throughout the desert.

The wall had fallen and she could _feel _the sense of triumph radiating through her army.

Kuvira's lips twitched, granting her the slightest of smiles. She gave Bolin, who was still sitting in the jeep, a sidelong glance. "Excellent work. You've just made history."

Bolin shrugged and picked at his teeth. "It's what I do."

Baatar listened to his headset for a moment. "We have boots on the ground. General Yao's metalbenders have made a successful jump."

Colonel Shu marked a few spots on their tactical map, just inside of the wall. "Our first squad of VarriMechs have also advanced forward. Reporting...no resistance. Streets are clear."

Kuvira folded her arms behind her back. "Good. We continue as planned." She squinted as she saw a thin, light brown line flicker in and out of existence around Yao's airship. She looked over at Baatar. "Did you see that?"

Baatar nodded slowly. "I did." He tuned his radio and tapped his headset. "General Yao, we saw some sort of disturbance or presence in your airspace. Can you confirm on your end?"

"_We saw it too. Not sure what it...wait, hold on. Oh no."_

Kuvira quickly moved back to her radio and yanked it out of the jeep. "What? What's wrong?"

"_Ma'am, these buildings aren't made of rock. They're made of sand._"

Colonel Shu raised a brow. "Why would they be made of-"

"Uh, guys? I think something's wrong," said Bolin.

Kuvira's first airship, a dreadnought in it's own right, was brutally torn to pieces by a dozen arcs of sand. It sliced through the engines and most of the hull, leaving black smoke in it's wake as the internal components slowly exploded. It began slowing down and teetering toward the ground.

"What just happened?!" barked Kuvira. "General Yao, respond!"

"_It's the Dai Li! I repeat, the Dai Li are on the front lines! I, they really tore the ship up bad, ma'am. There's no way I can keep her in the air. At...at least five city blocks are sand facades! When did they become sandbenders?! I don't think-"_

He was silenced by another barrage of sand arcs cracking through the airship, this time severing it in half and sending it crashing to the ground in flames. It crashed into the ground with enough force to kick up sand all back to her position.

Baatar was cycling through radio frequencies, getting panicked reports from the front line. "Kuvira, it's not just the airships." He'd gone through them quickly, but Kuvira had caught enough terrified screams to know something had gone horribly wrong. "Every squad who has entered the city is being torn to pieces. They're..." His eyes glazed over. "...flaying them with sand."

Colonel Shu shouted expletives the table as he scurried from radio switchboard to switchboard. "Every VarriMech and tank we've sent through the wall are reporting complete mechanical failures!"

She snatched a radio off of the command table. "_ALL DIVISIONS, FALL BACK! I REPEAT, FALL BACK! THIS IS A FULL TACTICAL RETREAT! DO NOT ADVANCE PAST THE WALL!" _she yelled into the microphone, her heart beating in a panic. "Would someone like to explain to me how any of this is even possible?! Sandbending is a brutish, relatively _useless _form, so how exactly is it _tearing my army to pieces?!_"'

Baatar stuttered. "I-I have no idea how they're doing it."

Bolin's eyes could not have been more outside of his head. "Uh, this is bad. _Really _bad."

"I refuse to believe that was _only _sandbending." Kuvira furrowed her brow at the fallen wall, her jaw setting powerfully. The entirety of her army was making a tactical retreat. She saw two more airships get systematically torn apart by the wrath of the sand, causing even more high explosives to send shockwaves toward their position.

"My VarriMechs are made of pure platinum. They cannot be bent. They are equipped with the most advanced military weaponry in existence, and you're telling me that _sandbenders _beyond that wall were able to decimate my troops, destroy my airships, _and_ disable my VarriMechs, as well as my tanks? No single weapon or bending art, with the exception of lightning and combustion, could possibly accomplish that feat."

She glared daggers at the wall.

"We would have _heard _the explosions of a combustion bender, and _seen _thelightning if that were the case. It cannot just be sand. I need another explanation. Now."

Bolin shook his head, frowning. "Well, if we assume they're earthbenders, which we should since, well, it's Ba Sing Se. Who else would defend it? Also since they're the Dai Li, so...yeah. Earthbenders."

He got out of the jeep and stood beside her.

"It's not lavabending, though that should be obvious. It _can't _be metalbending, and no form of basic earth could cause that much damage in such a short amount of time." Bolin shrugged. "If you're positive it's _not _sandbending, maybe they've got a powerful spirit in there."

Baatar and Shu eyed Bolin, unamused.

"Really? A spirit? That's your best idea?" said Shu.

"What? It could happen! I'm just saying we can't rule out a possibility because it sounds crazy. The last time I did that, there was a giant monster fight in Yue Bay. I thought it was _impossible _that Unalaq wanted to take over the world and had some kind of doomsday device in order to do it. Well, turns out, _he actually did_!" He wiped off the sand from his uniform and hair. "I'm gonna be super happy to get out of this desert. Sand is just _not _fun to walk around in, and it gets everywhere!" He sighed. "The engineers for the airships and VarriMechs have had to work twice as hard since we started moving through the Si Wong. I feel bad for 'em."

Kuvira slowly turned to Bolin, the pieces falling into place. "Yes, that is unfortunate..." She inspected her own uniform to find little pockets of sand stuck against her. "They're not using sandbending as a hammer. They're using it as a _blade. _By forcing sand into every little nook and cranny of our armor, airships and VarriMechs, they can tear the target apart from the inside!"

* * *

><p>"VARRICK!" yelled Kuvira. "Bolin wasn't there, the timeline is completely wrong, the Si Wong Desert is separated by a <em>sea<em> from Ba Sing Se, we flew _over the wall_ and were taken down by the Dai Li once we reached the upper ring! Why would we need to tear it down?! We had airships!" She groaned. "And the VarriMechs didn't even _exist _yet! You were there! How are you remembering this wrong?!"

"I'm not _remembering it wrong_, I'm making it more entertaining." Varrick scoffed. "And this is why nobody likes _your_ story. It's not dynamic or exciting! It's just sad and boring and dark! Gotta add some spice to it! Like _lavabending!_"

Asami raised a brow. "Bolin didn't even lavabend in the story you just told us. You...kind of implied it, but it wasn't there."

"Well, if I told you the _whole _story we'd be here all day."

"Okay kids, shut up." Lin covered her face with her hand. "Sandbending. Dai Li. Metalbending principles. Is that accurate, Kuvira?"

"Yes."

"And it wasn't just one person? It was a group of them?"

"That was something we never quite figured out. Once we'd rounded up the Dai Li for execution, we tried to discern which of them were sandbenders. They had caused the most destruction by far, but not a single one was among them."

Lin raised a brow. "...did you ever consider that they might have been _lying_?"

"Of course. However, these sandbenders had the same capability as the one General Iroh described, so one by one, as they were put to death...not a single one resisted effectively. If they _were _the ones who'd nearly obliterated Ba Sing Se just to ensure we couldn't take it, they would have easily won against our very...minimalistic approach."

"You're sure you didn't miss a few?" asked Mako.

"I was _very thorough_," she said, clenching her jaw.

"Good riddance…" grunted Lin.

Tenzin stroked his beard. "Normally, I would say it must have been the work of a large group of sandbenders, but then, what would that say about Yakone? Or Amon?" He hummed. "Yakone was able to bloodbend, in broad daylight, an entire courtroom simultaneously without moving a muscle. Including Avatar Aang. His son was able to sever a bender's connection to their element. If they were capable of such things individually, then it's entirely possible that you may have been facing one bender when you were searching for many."

Kuvira nodded. "I would not discount it, even it is the far more dangerous reality."

"_How did you manage to beat them the first time, Kuvira?"_

"I didn't. They simply stopped attacking once I'd secured half the city."

"_That sounds...odd."_

Raiko nodded. "It most certainly does. Almost as if it was planned."

"_Be that as it may, we have to focus on the more pressing matter. Someone is stockpiling spirit vines, and the United Forces is simply ineffective against that kind of weapon. I was informed a few weeks ago that there was research being done in how to combat this new threat."_

Asami cleared her throat. "Yes, that's true, General Iroh. Varrick, Zhu Li and I have been developing a sort of...let's call it an energy transfer device. I won't bore you with the details, but we've discovered that it's possible to not only diffuse the energy of a spirit vine weapon, but to eliminate the spirit vine entirely by a specific type of implosion."

"_Perfect. Is it ready?"_

"Unfortunately, no. We're still not quite to the testing phase, but I'm confident we'll get there."

"We should be able to begin testing within three weeks, sir," said Zhu Li.

Asami shot her a very confused look, which Zhu Li returned with a confident smile. Okay. Apparently Zhu Li had some new theories she had to discuss.

"_That's less than ideal, but it's better than what we had a minute ago."_

Raiko nodded. "Agreed. However, defending ourselves isn't our only priority. We also need to address the growing concern that vines are being smuggled out of the city. Chief Beifong, I believe you and Detective Mako have made progress on this?"

Lin sighed. "We found yet _another_ series of secret tunnels that go far into the countryside that just happen to also be directly underneath high concentrations of Spirit Vines."

"They're the same tunnels that Wu made to help evacuate the remaining civilians during Kuvira's siege," added Mako. "We've already sealed them, and we're getting the local authorities to watch the exit for suspicious activity. However, we're not convinced that the trucks you guys managed to catch and this tunnel system are part of the same smuggling operation."

Korra narrowed her eyes. "Why's that?"

"Well, one's incredibly sloppy and the other isn't. Above ground transportation with poorly concealed cargo just screams amateur, and the Spirit Vines they were carrying were barely bundled together."

Lin nodded. "It sounds like Triad work, because, technically, it was. They were hired through _several _intermediaries, most of which were either very clearly murdered or vanished off the face of the planet. We have a few in custody, but they're small time, and the next guy above them isn't much different. We're going to keep digging, but in my opinion it's wasted effort. This is a _very _long trail, and whoever's behind this knows exactly what they're doing." She frowned. "Honestly, it would be more suspicious if these people _weren't _terrorists. And considering the destructive capabilities of these weapons…"

Korra shook her head. "Let's not say it's them until we actually know. It could just as easily be something else."

"_With all due respect, Avatar Korra, this motivation does sound like that of the Red Lotus. If they truly seek the destruction of government and society itself, this would be the most effective way to accomplish that goal."_

Tenzin nodded. "I have to agree with General Iroh. We must prepare for the worst."

Asami turned toward Korra. "They're right. It sounds like them."

Korra crossed her arms. "I know. I'd rather it didn't."

"_We all do. There's no telling where or when they'll strike, or even where they'd be keeping their vines._ _Well, no that's not strictly accurate. Kuvira, did you use all of your Spirit Vine stockpile in the construction of the Colossus?"_

"No. As I already stated in my official report, we overharvested by a significant margin. The vast majority of them were stored in the manufacturing facility just south of Zaofu, but I doubt they're still there. Twenty-five stories underground."

"_It can't hurt to check."_

"Knowing my loyalists, it absolutely could."

* * *

><p>The emergency meeting had lasted another hour, and Asami wasn't sure why. They'd gone over the same information and analyzed it a dozen times, when really that wasn't their jobs at all. Once it was <em>finally <em>over, she and Korra hung back in Raiko's office. She was going to get to the bottom of that...weird and probably stupid 'betrayal' Korra couldn't talk about.

Korra crossed her arms. "Okay. Kuvira's out."

Raiko raised a brow. "Yes, I'm aware of that. Your point?"

Korra gestured frustratedly at Asami. "Take a wild guess!"

"Oh, _that. _Well, Miss Sato, information regarding the details of Kuvira's...change in position were deemed on a need-to-know basis." He turned to glare at Korra. "Unless you have a _habit of bursting into private meetings unannounced_, it was unnecessary to inform you of this."

"Okay…" Asami pinched her brow. "...and why, exactly, was Korra forbidden to tell me this?"

"It was a matter of national security. Our plan needed to stay a secret for the time being. Having that leak to the press before it was already said and done would have been a PR nightmare."

"I wouldn't have said anything. I would have been beside myself with anger, which I currently am, but I wouldn't have said anything. I understand perfectly well what the consequences of that sort of leak would be. You _know _that." She frowned. "Riots, protests, large scale disarray all across the country. Oh, and lots of contention from the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation as well. Not to mention the innocents still in the former Earth Kingdom."

"I'm well aware. _Avatar Korra _was the one who suggested you be kept in the dark, as you would have taken it far too personally to keep quiet."

"I did _not _say that! I told you that I wanted to discuss it with her before I agreed to help you!" Korra scowled. "Because it _is _personal for _her_, and I didn't want to go behind her back!" She looked to Asami, worried. "I swear I didn't say that."

"Obviously. Don't you think I know that?" She turned to glare at Raiko. "Quit twisting her words. What did you say to her to keep her quiet? Because there's _no way _that was enough to do it."

Raiko pinched his brow. "Are you saying that she _didn't _tell you about this?"

"No. She did not," she said, lying far too easily. Not a trait she was proud of, but a useful skill at times.

"...the one time you actually do what I ask…"

Korra looked baffled. "You _wanted _me to… Wait a minute." She raised her palms in front of her. "You said that you'd be _forced _to use some sort of...president...thing so that for some reason Future Industries would have to start developing weapons again! If I told her!" She groaned. "And she doesn't _do that _anymore, so of course I did what you said! If I told her, it'd be my fault she has to go back into that business!"

Raiko scowled. "Yes! Forced to do so because of the riots and this country entering a state of emergency! We need to be able to defend ourselves, and Spirit Vine weaponry is by far the most effective way to do so. The materials for making them are _in my office._" he said, pointing at the large spirit vine growing through his window.

Asami couldn't decide whether to laugh or wring Raiko's neck for _blackmailing the Avatar_. She imagined the latter _very vividly, _but chose the former due to it being...not illegal. So she laughed. Very hard. "You are a _sick_, twisted old man. Blackmailing the Avatar?" She glowered at him. "That's disgusting."

Raiko narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't appreciate your tone. And why are you _laughing?_"

Korra blinked. "...wait, I don't understand. Is this even about me?"

Asami shook her head. "No. It's not. Raiko just wants Spirit Vine weapons, so he...made you think that if word got out, the United Republic would _need _them, and he could probably spin the story that way, too. That way, he'd be entirely legally justified in forcing Future Industries down a path of his own design."

"_What?!" _Korra's eye twitched. "I'm going to go wait by the car before I blow up this office." She airbended his door open and slammed it closed as she left.

Asami winced as she heard the unmistakable sound of Korra screaming down the hall.

Raiko hummed. "I'll probably have to replace that."

Asami smirked. "You're also going to have to replace your antiquated notions of backroom politics and manipulations, Mister President."

"Really. And why is that?"

Asami fished a business card out of her pocket and gently placed it in his hands. "Because Future Industries hasn't been legally based in the United Republic for _almost three years._"

He stared at the card. "The _Fire Nation_? How did you..."

Asami laughed once. "I looked into the United Republic's new constitution and found that the government had the right to issue 'Executive Orders' to private corporations during 'periods of great turmoil' in order to 'ensure the posterity of the nation and the safety of the people'." She shrugged. "Obviously, that was a big red flag for myself and the entire legal division. We made the switch before you could try and pull anything like this."

"And what if war _does _break out? Or a series of devastating terrorist attacks? What then, Miss Sato? What if your company could _prevent _these things?"

Asami sighed. "It can't. Weapons don't prevent wars, they only instigate them. And if those things were to happen, well, then I'd have my integrity and the knowledge that nothing I built is being used to harm others."

"After everything that's happened these past few years, I find your idealism ludicrous."

"Close, but not an idealist. _Optimist_."

"Oh, so you're only _slightly _delusional?"

"Wow." Asami rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm done. I'll send over reports when progress is made on the defense systems." She walked out the door and slammed it shut behind her. "And you just lost my vote!"

* * *

><p>"Why is it that every politician seems to be out to get me?" asked Korra, leaning against the passenger door of Asami's blue roadster.<p>

Asami shrugged as she walked down the steps of the freshly refurbished City Hall. "They probably feel threatened since your name carries a level of weight and legitimacy they can never hope to achieve."

Korra smiled a little bit. "...okay, you know what? I can live with that." Then, she frowned. "Of course, all of that sneaking around was for _nothing_. Now I feel even worse about it."

"Don't." Asami smiled kindly and shook her head. "And it was _definitely _not for nothing, as far as I'm concerned. You knew how much it would hurt me if I had to make weapons again." Asami wrapped her in a tight hug. "_Thank you._ You put my own self-worth, my integrity, above _us._ You are selflessly insane and I'm _so _sorry for doubting you."

"Yeah, I can be...sorta crazy like that sometimes." Korra gave her a crooked grin. "It's okay. You had a pretty good reason to. It's not like I was making any sense." She raised a brow. "...so are we okay, or…?"

Asami got in her car and turned on the ignition. "That depends on what we're talking about."

Korra hopped into the passenger seat. "The whole 'stabbing you in the back' thing."

"Korra, you didn't actually do that. You did the _opposite._ So, yes, of course we're okay." Asami cleared her throat as she sent the car roaring off toward her office. "But not on the other thing."

"I didn't think so." Korra leaned against the side door and shrugged. "Yeah, well, I doubt we ever will be."

"At least she's all chained up and chi-blocked. I feel a little better after seeing that."

"You enjoyed that sight _way _too much. I think Mako noticed, because he was making that face he makes when he thinks you did something ridiculous."

"He has a _lot _of those faces."

"Hah. Yeah." Korra tapped her thighs. "You know what we should do now?"

"No, what?"

"We should...continue our game."

Asami sighed and turned down a sidestreet, merging in and out of traffic like she'd been born behind the wheel. Which wasn't too far off base. "As much as I'd enjoy that, we sort of have to deal with this whole..._spirit vine terrorism _issue. Hopefully Zhu Li wasn't just bluffing back there, because we are not progressing as quickly as we need to be."

"Why don't you just see if you can get Baatar Jr. to help you on work release?"

Asami winced. "I tried that already. He, uh, actually wasn't able to replicate the generator after the first prototype. It just sort of...started working, and he doesn't know why."

Korra blinked. "Wow."

"Yeah…" She frowned. "I was able to track down one of the engineers who worked on the Colossus, though. I'm interviewing her as soon as she gets to the city. There was a stall on the political asylum paperwork, or something."

"Oh, right, yeah, you mentioned that this morning. I'm sure that'll go well."

"Let's hope."

Korra was silent for a few moments. "...how badly is the project going?" she asked quietly.

Asami's shoulders slumped in her seat and she let out a shaky breath. "Horribly. I just...we can't figure it out. We found out how to make the generator, but every design permutation we've tried doesn't transfer nearly enough energy _back _into the Spirit World. It just explodes. I try to make the _opposite _of a bomb, and I end up making an inefficient one." She gripped the steering wheel tighter as she made a hard turn. "I keep thinking it might have been a fluke. A one time only thing."

"It wasn't. You _will _figure it out."

"...dad would know how to fix this," whispered Asami involuntarily. She felt a sudden rush of pain in her chest and crushed it immediately with a small breath, burying the feeling with the rest of her irrational bursts of emotion. Her eyes stung and she blinked the redness away. "You're right. I'll find a way. I always have."

Korra frowned, concerned. "I know you're sick of hearing this, but are you sure you don't want to-"

"There's nothing to talk about, Korra. I did my grieving a long time ago. There's no sense in repeating it."

Korra hesitated, but then nodded. "Okay. I know his birthday is coming up. Do you want to do something for that?"

Asami shrugged. "I really hadn't put that much thought into it. I guess we could do what I did the first time."

"You mean when he went to jail."

"Yeah, but he was effectively dead to me. It's just a difference in semantics. Meaningless, really."

"Well, what did you do?"

"Nothing special. I sat next to my mother's gravestone and drew whatever came to mind."

"Like what?"

Asami huffed. "I don't know. I doubt I even have those sketchbooks anymore. I think I lost them during that home invasion. There was a lot of fire damage."

"Hey." Korra reached across the car and rubbed Asami's leg. "We can do that again."

"...you don't get vacation time, Korra. At least, not typically. I'd normally clear my whole day and just...sit."

"Well, this isn't a typical situation, then."

"Okay, but you don't have to stay with me the whole time. Something could happen, so you probably shouldn't."

"Too bad, 'cause I am."

Asami gave her a sidelong glance. "It's going to be really boring."

Korra smiled and shrugged. "Then I guess it'll be boring."

Asami flattened her lips and turned her eyes back to the road. "All right, then."

* * *

><p>"...this might actually work, Zhu Li," said Asami, inspecting the highly detailed blueprint. "But I'm worried about the power dispersal that circles back through the vine circuit. I know the idea is the ensure that it retains its physical structure in our world, but if it radiates outward, where does the excess energy go?"<p>

"Ideally? It'll shoot straight into the sky and fly off into space."

"_Ideally_?"

"There's always the chance that it could just explode."

Varrick shrugged. "There's always the chance that _anything _could just explode, but you can't let that slow you down. It's just part of being a _scientist_."

Asami narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm an_ engineer_."

"That too," he said, pointing at her with a screwdriver. "By the way, are we still getting that...uh, Zhu Li, what were we waiting for, again?"

"I believe Asami mentioned hiring one of the engineers who worked on the Colossus."

"Yes. That. Are we getting that?"

Asami massaged her temples. "I don't know. And it's an _interview, _not a job offer. Baatar spoke highly of her, but he basically built the most important part of the thing with dumb luck." She frowned. "It doesn't really fill me with confidence."

"I suppose it wouldn't, but then that's why I'm here in person," said an unfamiliar voice.

A taller, fit woman with a clear mix of both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation ancestry, if her dark amber eyes and tell-tale brows were any indication, stood just inside the doorway of Asami's personal workshop.

"Artana Kuze, I presume?" asked Asami, giving the newcomer a calculating look. She looked well into her thirties and had dark brown hair pulled back into a loose bun. She was dressed practically, with a blue-grey Earth Kingdom tattoos peeking out of her neckline, like she'd been welding and hadn't had time to change.

"You presume correct. I got here as soon as I could, but I was a little turned around by the trolley system. Have I come at a bad time?"

"No, simply the wrong place." Asami raised a brow. "I'm certainly not going to be conducting an interview in _here._ It's not proper. Go back to the elevator and head down to the lobby. I'll be with you in around half an hour. My office is on the fortieth floor."

Artana gave her a short bow. "Of course. Sorry for the interruption." She spun on her heel and walked out the door.

"So _that's _the, uh, mecha lady?" asked Varrick, picking his teeth with the same screwdriver.

"Yes."

"She seems polite enough," said Zhu Li.

"She seems...oddly well built."

Zhu Li gave her a dead stare.

"Fair point. But manners aren't everything. Varrick is living proof of that."

"Normally, I'd dispute that with a well versed argument, but we really don't have that kind of time to waste. We've got _terrorists _to deal with!" Varrick looked between Zhu Li and Asami. "...look, just putting this out there. My thoughts. If this lady worked on the _giant mechasuit_, we have to give her a chance. I didn't work on the mechasuit. Zhu Li didn't work on the mechasuit. _You _didn't work on the mechasuit. We've got a wreck, but even then it's an intricate and almost incomprehensible piece of technology. She could have a _manual_! For the mechasuit! Well, the _generator_, but you get the idea."

Asami sighed. "Fine. You...have a point, Varrick. And everyday that phrase somehow becomes easier to say."

"Told you I'd grow on yah!" he said with a wink and a smile.

* * *

><p>Asami, now fully poised and presentable after a quick wardrobe change, sat at her desk, sketching new improvements for the Satohawk. Designing it to be modular, so that she could sell a universal production model to the public while still maintaining her own private custom work, had proved to be an increasingly complicated task. Which, of course, only motivated her more. It was a challenge that didn't involve anything but her own mental prowess, as opposed to all of her other projects.<p>

Which mostly involved everything _but _her mental prowess. Because investors liked to whine, and the defense project was...mind numbingly frustrating.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Artana entered with a humble smile. "Thank you for taking the time to see me, Miss Sato."

Asami flattened her expression and gestured to the chairs in front of her. "Close the door and sit down."

Artana did as she was told. "I have what documentation I was able to recover from the rather...shattered remains of the Earth Empire, but unfortunately official records from Ba Sing Se University were-"

Asami slapped a Pai Sho board on to her desk and slid a box of game pieces beside it. "The guest has the first move."

Artana examined the board for a moment. "Your reputation as a tactician precedes you, Miss Sato." She looked up at her with a confident smirk. "I was almost positive that these rumors were completely fabricated." She carefully put each tile into place, most likely assuming that the set was very expensive.

It was not. Asami had bought it on a whim from a department store. Well, not a whim, but...on hope. Regardless, the nice boards were at home.

"Who do you think is _encouraging _those rumors? It's a Sato tradition. Whenever we hire a new high-level engineer, they have to prove that they can keep up with the rest of us. Documentation can be bought." Asami arranged her pieces with practiced precision. "_Skill_ cannot."

Artana rubbed her chin. She placed a white lotus tile in the corner of the board.

Asami raised a brow. Surely this woman wasn't...well, she had to find out. It was far too interesting an opportunity. "I see you favor the White Lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."

Artana simply nodded. "Those who do can always find a friend."

Asami rested her chin on her hands. "...then let us play."

In less than a minute, they'd performed the traditional sequence perfectly, the both of them clacking their pieces to the board one after the other in rapid succession. Then, it stared up at them.

A lotus in bloom.

Asami chuckled in disbelief. "No one has _ever _tried that before. In fact, I've never met anyone who actually knew the historically accurate sequence."

Artana shrugged. "I've met plenty who know it. It might just be more common in the Earth Empire...Kingdom. Although that's hardly a demonstration of skill."

"Well, no, but I do appreciate it all the same. Not even the Avatar thinks fondly of the White Lotus these days."

"Wait, so they actually _did _lock her in a prison for most of her life? I thought that was just the tabloids making things up."

"Well…" Asami bobbed her head from side to side. "Yes and no. It's complicated, and not really that important. She got out."

"Fair enough." Artana hummed. "Do you know if they even still do this? With Pai Sho?"

Asami frowned. "I've met a lot of members, and not _once _have I seen them playing a single game."

Artana looked a little downtrodden, but not surprised. "That's a shame. I'd hoped that, at the very least, this tradition would have endured." She shrugged. "Ah, well. There's no sense clinging to the past. Things change, and new needs arise. The heroes of old aren't the legends of today, after all."

"That's for sure. I used to idolize them when I was a girl. Now? They're just not the same."

Artana smirked. "My sentiments exactly."

* * *

><p><strong>Readers who are also fans of Ghost in the Shell: SAC are probably makin' this face right now: O_o<strong>

**I was very hesitant to introduce an OC, but the story I wanted to tell isn't possible without one. No canon character existed that could fill the role. Hopefully Artana isn't, y'know, lame like some OCs can be. Really tried to give her an introduction that stayed true to the show, and wasn't on the extremes of either "Everyone hates her instantly" or "Everyone loves her instantly". Let me know how that worked out. **

**Okay, so, there's a fun story behind the 'mover version' of Kuvira's story that Varrick tells in this chapter. That entire section is actually lifted from an earlier fic of mine, entitled "Sandstorm", that I wrote right before 4x03 "The Coronation", because I thought surely they didn't have time to address the fact that she took Ba Sing Se besides that little puzzle piece. But then 4x05 "Enemy at the Gates" happened and apparently she went to Ba Sing Se _first._ Stupid, stupid Kuvira. Largest city in the world, and you go in with maybe 200 metalbenders? Oh, she won. But it was a living nightmare.**

**As always, any and all feedback is appreciated/encouraged. No matter how small, random, scathing or rambling your thoughts may be, I'd love to hear' em.**


	9. Volatile

**Just a heads up, I wouldn't get used to me updating so quickly. This is a bit of a fluke. Once a week is the goal.**

**Beta'd by BSG-Legacy.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 3 - This M.A.D. World of Ours**

**Section 5:**

**"Volatile"**

Asami stared blankly at the fresh crater in the middle of her old racetrack. There were more than two thousand just like it, spaced equidistant from one another as to limit testing variables.

Test number twenty-five-zero-one.

Twenty-five-zero-one.

For the two-thousand five-hundred and first time, she had failed.

It always started well enough. They'd set up the device, get it running, place a spirit bomb right next to it and set the timer. The four of them would get clear and file into the Avatar-certified bunker. The bomb would go off in a flash of loud, purple light and, for around twenty seconds, the energy would be steadily re-routed back through the spirit vine. The spirit energy would swirl into the device like water down a drain until the metaphorical pipes were clogged.

Then, it would explode, leaving a big, stupid looking crater.

Asami did not have time for big, stupid craters.

Varrick placed his hands on his hips. "Well, _that _was hardly surprising. Guess making the energy go in a figure-eight doesn't work either. Maybe a pentagon next time?" He shrugged. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm starting to get sick of seeing things explode," he mused. "I know, it sounds impossible. Illogical, even! But it's the _same purple boom _every time, and I do sorta feel bad for blowing up all of this fancy road of yours, Asami."

Asami snapped her eyes to him, glaring lances of fire. "Are you _mocking _me? Mocking _all of us_?" She frowned intensely. "What is wrong with you? We may as well have the fate of the world on our shoulders, and you're _just standing there making a joke of all our hard work!"_

Varrick blinked twice. "Okay. In order: No, no, depends on who you ask, I'm fully aware of that, and also that's not what I'm doing!"

"Yes, you absolutely are! And I'm asking, and I think there's _a lot _wrong with you, and every day I seriously question why I even agreed to let you help me with this!"

"Then I'll remind you! We don't have _time _to not do this together!" Varrick flung his arms into the air and slammed his hands right on to the ceiling. He yelped in pain and shook them out, wincing. "And neither do I! Even with Zhu Li, there's no way I could have gotten this far this quickly without you! Also, the, uh, the...uhm..." He snapped his fingers and gestured toward a slightly bemused Artana.

Zhu Li continued to scribble data in her notebook. "Artana, dear."

"Thank you. _Artana_! Also, thank you Artana."

Artana sighed. "We've been working together, side by side, often times literally, for _two weeks _and you still can't remember my name."

"Thank you _and _sorry?"

"Oh, fine. Think nothing of it and apology accepted." Artana snorted. "You know, your eccentricities aren't as charming as you think."

"Yes, they are," added Zhu Li, her tone somehow communicating both tenderness and finality. "Levity is just as important as progress."

Asami rubbed her temples took a heavy, frustrated breath. "It's _not _levity. He's just being obnoxious and insensitive. How are you even a scientist?! You act like some sort of circus clown!"

Varrick narrowed his eyes at her. "That's probably because I _was _a clown in a circus. A great one, too! Did a lot of acrobatics. Loved that the most. Well, that and the saber-tooth moose lion taming."

Artana slowly looked at Varrick. "How _are _you a scientist?"

"Trial and error, mostly."

Asami opened her mouth, felt logic and reason melt through the floor, and closed it again. For several moments, she considered wrestling Varrick to the ground and strangling him for his buffoonery and outright lunacy, but decided that he wasn't worth the energy. Especially since she'd have to fight Zhu Li, too. "I'm going to go set up the next one. Artana, you'll be assisting."

Artana nodded and the two of them climbed out of the observation bunker Korra had bent into the side of the hill. It wouldn't protect them from the explosion, but rather from debris. They picked up their equipment and began walking to the next designated testing area.

Asami frowned, and she didn't know why. "How are you settling in to Republic City, Artana?"

"About as well as to be expected. The shelter I'm living in is right on the edge of some silly sounding triad's territory, but it's not that much of a problem. I don't know who's idea it was to built a homeless shelter _there_, but they weren't thinking too clearly when making that decision."

Asami felt her head pound and grunted. "_I _built those shelters, and it's not my damn fault that the triads keep changing their border lines. A few years ago those locations were nowhere near them, I assure you." Her mind came to screeching halt and she blinked. "Wait a minute, you've been _living in a homeless shelter_?"

"A very well made one, but yes." Artana chuckled dryly. "Republic City is still recovering, Miss Sato. Real estate is almost impossible to come by, and when it is, it's _far _beyond what I can afford. Especially since the money I was paid in during Kuvira's reign was nullified…"

Asami set down her equipment at the site and began setting up the next design permutation of the generator. Reverse generator. Imploder. Whatever. "I was not aware of that." She looked up at Artana apologetically, who was methodically arming the spirit bomb like she'd done hundreds of times before. "Why didn't you tell me you had nowhere to go after I brought you into the country?"

"Miss Sato, you're my_ boss_. That...would have been incredibly inappropriate. You have larger things, _much _larger things, to worry about than where I sleep." She gestured around the mostly exploded racetrack. "This, for example, is much more important."

Asami shook her head, remembering the few weeks she'd spent living in the shantytown beneath the city during the Equalist Uprising. And Mako and Bolin's childhood. Homelessness was not something to cast aside. It was why she _built _those shelters! "You're working with me everyday, respectfully ignoring all of the labor laws I'm breaking with the hours we've been putting in, which makes you a priority. I brought you here, I hired you, and I'm paying you a salary that...you can't even use…" She pinched her brow. "I'll fix this. I'll fix this before evening. I promise."

Artana put the finishing touches on the small spirit bomb, sans activating the timer, and offered her a small smile. "You really don't have to. It's fine. I'm no stranger to it."

Asami sighed and began fine-tuning the...imploder. How could she have been so short-sighted? Of _course _this would have been a problem. The fact that she'd had enough experience in it not to complain only made her feel that much worse. "No, I _do _have to. It would be wrong of me if I didn't." She activated the imploder and it hummed to life. "I'm not going to get into a moral debate with you on this, so don't even try. You're a citizen of the United Republic now, and you have a right to privacy and property." She rose to her feet, feeling more anger fester in her stomach. Anger at herself, at the triads. Angry at _fate._

"Okay. I won't argue," she said, almost wistfully. "And...thank you. I really didn't expect this sort of kindness in Republic City. An amazing center of culture, yes, but not...well, this."

"Set the timer," she said curtly.

Artana nodded and did as she was told. The bomb started blinking and ticking. The two of them jogged back to the bunker and slipped inside.

Asami watched the testing zone intently. It had to work. By all forms of logic, Zhu Li's new design should work. Not flawlessly, as they still needed to figure out how to send _all _the energy back, but redirecting it harmlessly into the sky was certainly progress.

And Asami needed progress.

The bomb exploded, as it always did, and the imploder instantly began consuming the energy that was released. Two seconds. Five seconds. Fifteen seconds. _Thirty _seconds. They'd already broken their record. The purple light swirled and crackled around the imploder, and Asami was about to slam her head against the concrete wall in anger but froze when she saw it...release the energy.

It didn't explode.

It _didn't explode_.

It shot a giant purple beam into the sky and straight into space.

Asami's jaw dropped. "I… almost can't believe it. We sort of did it."

Varrick whooped louder than she'd ever heard him scream, which was saying a lot. He kissed Zhu Li straight on the lips and began spinning her around. "Of course we did! Who do you think you're dealing with, here?! Zhu Li, you just saved the the world!"

"Not quite yet, dear, but we're getting there," Zhu Li chuckled.

Artana just smiled extremely wide. "This is just the beginning, but we _know _it's possible now."

Asami was about to respond, but the phone line they'd hooked up in the bunker rang. She picked up the phone. It shouldn't have surprised her that Lin was on the other side.

"_Sato, was that you just now?!"_

Asami frowned. "Was _what-"_

"_The giant purple beam of death that shot up into the sky!"_

"Yes."

"_Could you at least _tell me _the next time you're going to pull some crap like that? You just sent half the city into a panic! Which I now have to deal with!"_

Asami groaned. "Chief, I swear, we didn't even know it was going to _work. _ It's the first time anything actually has."

"_Oh, well then congratulations."_

"Thank you-"

"_But from now on if you don't inform me of your testing schedule, I'm going to drag you down here and have _you _answer the calls from a few hundred thousand frightened citizens!"_

"Sorry."

Once again, Lin hung up the phone so hard she could almost feel it.

"Who was that?" asked Varrick.

"Lin. Apparently we just sent half the city into a panic."

"Whoops."

"Yeah…"

"Heh, well, they can't blame me for once! I'm not in charge of this operation-"

Asami scowled and smacked him upside the head with her notebook.

"Shut up. Just _shut up._"

* * *

><p>"<em>Air Temple Island, Avatar Korra speaking."<em>

Asami snorted into a laugh. Adorable.

"_Who is this? Kuvira? This isn't funny! Everytime you call you freak out Tenzin's kids! So stop calling!"_

Asami raised a brow. No longer adorable. "Korra. It's me."

"_Oh. Hey, Asami! Sorry about that, but, uh, yeah, somebody gave Kuvira a telephone line. And this number is listed publicly, so…"_

"Why does she keep calling?"

"_I don't know. I think she has it in her head that we're friends or something because I'm not actively hating her. Which is...sad, if you think about it. Well, okay, not sad for _you, _but you get...what I mean."_

"Yeah, I do. Did you see the giant purple beam?"

"_Yes. Please tell me that was you. Tenzin is this close sending the Air Nation into a state of alert."_

Asami winced. "That was me. Sorry!"

"_Nah, it's fine. No. Tenzin. Tenzin! It was Asami! Well, I'm on the phone with her right now. Yes! Actually, I don't know. Asami was that a...good purple beam or a bad one?"_

"A...good one? I guess?"

"_It's a good one! No, stop-I don't know, turn the ferries around or something. Airbend them back, or get some of the White Lotus waterbenders to do it! I'm on the phone, can you give me a little space? Thank you."_

"Is everything okay over there?"

"_Mostly. Some of the ferries are headed toward the island and they're filled with 'refugees'."_

Asami covered her face with her hand. "Oh no..."

"_It'll be fine! It's just a simple misunderstanding. Oh, and Naga says hi."_

A polar bear dog barked through the receiver. Asami smiled.

"Hello, Naga. How'd you get Tenzin to let her in the temple?"

"_She's not inside. Tenzin bought this super long extension cord for the telephone because he likes to walk around while he uses it, and it kept flying out of his hands."_

"Won't...someone trip on it?"

"_Hasn't happened yet, but there's a first time for everything. So, what's up?"_

"A few things. One was, well, we made a big leap forward in the defense project."

"_That's awesome! Except for the panic, but that'll get sorted out. Why does it involve Vaatu beams shooting into the sky, though?"_

"What? It's just spirit energy. Why did you think it was part of Vaatu?"

"'_Cause I got the same feeling I did when he used it on me during Harmonic Convergence. It's this sense of...detachment and chaos. It gives me the shivers. Oh, they also look exactly the same."_

"They do? I had no idea." Asami raised her brows into her hairline and immediately began taking notes. "Thank you for telling me that. That actually might help a lot. Why didn't you say something about the spirit cannon?"

"_We were pretty busy at the time, remember?"_

"Right."

"_Come on, tell me there's some good news besides the spirit vine thing! How's that new engineer working out? What was her name? Arta? Arya? Aya?"_

"Artana."

"_Right, Artana. Uhhh, so...I guess she helped?"_

"She's just as capable as Baatar said she was, if not more so. Polite and just generally pleasant. Honestly, she fits right in with the rest of the senior engineers on staff. It's pretty lucky."

"_That's great! With four people, you can get the job done faster! And better!"_

Asami chuckled. "That's the idea, yes. There is actually one problem regarding her, though, which I'm hoping you might be able to help me with"

"_Asami, if she's been trying to make a move, I _swear_, I'm gonna shove her in Naga's mouth for a few minutes-"_

"No! No, no, not that at all."

"_Oh. That's good."_

"Korra, wow. That was...wow. Too far."

"_I don't think so. I did that to a judge once. It's how I found out my uncle was lying about everything."_

"Wait, really?"

"_Yeah, ran him off the road and shoved his head in Naga's jaw. Worked like a charm." _

"Huh. Well, I'll keep that in mind, I guess."

"_Go for it. So, this problem?"_

"Right. She's homeless."

"_I thought you were paying her."_

"I am, Korra. There's just no real estate she can afford She's been living in one of _my _shelters."

"_Woah. Weird."_

"That's not the half of it. Apparently, the Empire money she was paid in is no longer valid currency."

"_...okay, this is the first I'm hearing of Empire money being worth nothing. Tenzin! Did you know that Empire money isn't money anymore? Asami just told me. Well, she heard it from that engineer she brought in, so that's a pretty reliable source. Yeah, I know. I was thinking that, too. Yeah, Tenzin had no idea. He's going to look into that."_

"If Tenzin didn't know…"

"_It can't be good. Homelessness is also bad, though. How can I help?"_

"Well, I've been looking through real estate listings, and I can't find anything that isn't far too expensive for a 'special bonus' check to cover. I almost hate to ask this but-"

"_Tenzin! Can Asami's new engineer stay at the Air Temple? She's homeless because I guess there aren't any homes on the market. Okay. Tenzin says he trusts you, so she can stay."_

Asami smiled. "Thanks."

"_It's what I do. I mean, it's not that different from the time you came...to live...with us…Sorry."_

"It's okay. I was sort of thinking that, too..."

"_Do you want to talk about it?"_

Asami frowned. "_No, _Korra. For the last time, _there is nothing to talk about._"

"_Okay. What's tomorrow, again?"_

"Thursday."

"_And what time is the sun setting tonight?"_

"I don't know. Around, 8:15, I think."

"_And how many violent daydreams have you had today?"_

"Twenty three." Asami blinked. "_..._how did you do that."

"_It's a water tribe thing. You wouldn't get it."_

"No it isn't!"

"_Can you prove it's _not?"

"No."

"_Then there you go. Twenty three isn't a healthy number, Asami. One isn't really a healthy number. Know what? That's it. I'm coming over there."_

"Korra, I don't have time for this. I'm very busy!"

"_No you're not. I'll be there in a few minutes.""_

And then she hung up the phone. Asami threw it across the room and against the wall. It wedged itself into the plaster with a loud crack. She ran her fingers through her hair and groaned. How could she be so _stubborn_!? She was _fine. _

Asami was fine.

She was fine.

FINE!

Asami didn't make any effort to leave her office. She knew Korra would just find her anyway. She waited, pacing around the room and kicking her table a few times. Eventually, Korra knocked on her window, the one with the spirit vine, and Asami _briefly _considered leaving her out there. Then she remembered that Korra could just break it if she wanted to, and slid the window open.

Korra hopped down into her office and tossed her glider on the couch. "I just flew across the bay and up forty stories. Are you _sure _you don't want to talk about anything?"

Asami frowned. "I'm _fine._"

Korra sighed. "No, you're really not. You really, really aren't. It's not just me, okay?" She put her hand on Asami's shoulder. "Bolin, Opal and Mako noticed it, too. Even _Varrick _asked me if something was wrong. Varrick. Let that sink in."

Asami narrowed her eyes. "I'm fine. I don't know what you think you're seeing, but it isn't there."

"You sure?"

"_Yes."_

Korra pointed to her phone that was lodged in the wall. Then she pointed to her almost barren bar. Then, the violently ripped papers that were scattered across her table. The dents in the table. The dents in her desk. The holes in her walls. The dents in the _door._

"How about now?"

Asami rolled her eyes. "Okay, so I've been a _little _angrier than usual, lately. I'm stressed. Is it really that odd-"

Korra grabbed her wrists and shoved Asami's hands, no her _fists _with whitened knuckles, into her field of view. "You have been making fists at every little thing for months, and then hitting Varrick at basically every opportunity. You _laughed _in the President's face after he _blackmailed me._ Oh, and you threatened to _punch me in the mouth_."

Asami scowled and pulled her hands away. "I've been _very stressed_, and apparently so have you, because there's no way I'd threaten you like that."

"I couldn't make up something like that if I tried."

Asami sighed deeply and looked away. She leaned back against her desk and crossed her arms. "Are you done?"

Korra furrowed her brow. "Not even close. You have been walking around like you're going to _snap _at any moment for the last week and a half. I have never seen you this angry. _No one _has ever seen you this angry."

"Stop."

"Do you even realize how screwed up it is for you to have been _happy _to see Kuvira in the state she was in?" She frowned. "Bound and in pain, and you _grinned._"

Asami ground her teeth. "_Stop it."_

"_You're not okay, Asami. _You're holding on to all of this anger, _still. _ It's not making you stronger. It's toxic. You have to let it out._"_

"_Stop this! Now!_"

Korra looked at her desperately. "_Please. _Talk to me."

"I. Am. _Fine." _she growled.

"Look at yourself. Your fingers are actually making holes in your desk right now. Look!"

Asami didn't move her head, but her eyes flicked down to...the holes she was making. When did she start doing that? Well, it didn't matter. Irrelevant. "_There is nothing to talk about,_" she seethed. "I'm fine!"

"You're fine. Okay. Sure." Korra violently ran her fingers through her hair. "You are literally shaking the desk!"

Asami looked down. She was.

"I can't help you if you won't tell me _why _you're angry. Let me _be here for you, dammit!"_

Asami could only feel rage. In her stomach, in her back, in her arms, her legs, her chest, her neck. All of her. Enraged beyond recognition. Ready to snap, ready to...break. Break _what?_

"Get. Out."

Korra shook her head defiantly.

"Get out."

"No."

"_Get out!"_

"Asami, I swear to you..."

"_GET OUT!"_

"There is _nothing _you can say to me right now that will make me leave your side."

Asami felt that festering bile rise from her stomach once more and poison flow from her mind to her tongue. She couldn't stop it, she couldn't move or do anything. Her hands were bleeding. _"_IF YOU DON'T LEAVE RIGHT NOW KORRA, I SWEAR, I WILL PUT YOU _RIGHT BACK IN THAT WHEELCHAIR!"_

Asami slapped her palms over her mouth and instantly felt like death. She tasted copper. All of the color left her skin and her eyes shook in terror. Fear of herself. Fear of what was to come. Fear of _what she'd just done to Korra._ She started shaking uncontrollably and doubled over.

Korra took a few slow steps away, and tears quickly came streaming down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, centered herself, and with a few very deep breaths...the tears went away. "I'm still here," she said quietly. "I'm not going to leave. I'm not going to die right after you let me in, okay? I'm not going anywhere. Not now, not ever."

Asami felt her stomach writhe. Once. Twice. She sprinted into her private bathroom, kicking down the door, and emptied everything into the toilet. She tried to keep her hair from getting into the bowl but...Korra was already kneeling beside her, keeping it out of the way. Holding her. She sobbed between bouts of her body cleansing itself, and she lost count how many times she lurched.

Eventually, Asami collapsed against her, having nothing left to give. She was drained. Drained just...of everything. She felt hollow. Before she knew what was happening, Korra had already waterbent her clean. Asami started breathing softly and closed her eyes.

"Are you okay to move?"

Asami nodded.

"Okay, here, let me help you up."

Asami carefully got to her feet, using Korra as a crutch and her face sunk as she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked like...she didn't know. She didn't _want _to know. No color, her eyes lacking any vibrancy of life. There was no kindness. No generosity, no selfless and gentle air about her. No marks of intelligence or even comprehension. Just exhaustion and defeat.

"Do you want to lie down on the couch?"

Asami nodded and bit her lip. Her mind was _urging _her to say something. Anything. Apologize! _APOLOGIZE!_

Korra helped her over to the couch and gently laid her down. She gently tucked some stray locks of her hair out of the way. "You're going to be okay." She kneeled down next to her and took her hand, entwining their fingers. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

Asami slowly sat up and stared well past her feet into nothing. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm _so, so _sorry. I can't...I was so angry that I actually took that as a challenge." She frowned. "And I can't take it back."

"Don't think about that. You didn't mean it. I know you didn't, because I've _been there_ before, remember?"

Asami searched her eyes. No. Korra _couldn't_ lie. "The poison. I forgot how angry you were. Just...with me, though."

"You were the only one who understood I didn't mean anything I said, but couldn't stop."

"That was only two weeks. This has been..._months."_

"I thought if I gave you enough time and space, you'd figure it out on your own. I'm sorry I didn't...do something sooner. I'm sorry none of us did. We tried to clear the path for you, but I guess that wasn't enough."

"...is this why everyone was going out of their way to do things for me? I never even questioned it."

"Yup. Bolin, Opal, Mako, Varrick, Zhu Li, and I all decided that if you were going to figure this out on your own, we'd be with you every step of the way. One of us would be around, no matter what. To pick you up when you fall."

Asami's eyes widened. "_Varrick_ wanted to...why?"

"I don't know, but he was all for it. Considering how much he put up with, he meant it."

Asami bowed her head. "He must hate me now. _Zhu Li_ must hate me."

"No one hates you. But, I'm not going to lie. It's been painful. Not just for me. All of us. When someone you…" She bit her lip. "...care about is in this much pain, it hurts you too."

"I'm so sorry. I thought I could handle this. The spirit vines."

Korra smiled sadly. "That's not what this is about, Asami. You've got to accept that."

"What?" Asami sat up further. "What else is there?"

"Tomorrow." Korra frowned and wrapped her in tight hug, cupping her head over her shoulder. "It's _tomorrow_, and you forced yourself to forget. What you said to me? You can take it back by remembering. Right now."

Tomorrow.

Thursday.

Dad's birthday.

Asami shattered. Her entire body shook from the overwhelming surge of emotion, as she simply couldn't the stop the tears from pouring down her cheeks. She held Korra as tight as her she could, bawling her eyes out like a lost child.

Asami didn't realize she'd stopped crying until her arms gave out. She let go, but Korra didn't, only holding her tighter. She'd stopped shaking and, slowly but surely, regained control of her breath.

Asami felt cleansed. As if she'd just stepped out of a fifty pound suit of armor that had been slowly breaking her back. Breathing was simple. Seeing was simple. Everything was...somehow simpler. And the truth, well, that was simpler too.

"My dad died," she whispered.

"Yes. He did."

"He's dead. He's not coming back."

"I know. I'm sorry, I know."

"He's not in jail. There's no...tiny sliver of hope that he'll come back."

"No. There isn't."

"He saved my life. I was willing to die, and he...wouldn't let me."

"He couldn't. He loved you."

"Yes. In the end, he did." Asami closed her eyes. "...you can't grieve for someone if they're not dead."

"No. No, you can't."

"I can't skip over this. I can't do this alone."

"You don't have to. You're not alone. You have me and everyone else to help you through this."

Asami pulled back and looked into Korra's eyes. Understanding. Compassion. _Empathy. _Why she'd fought it...it didn't matter. Korra had broken through, because no walls existed that could stop her. She smiled sadly. "I'm calling in sick tomorrow. Zhu Li is more than capable to take over for a day."

"I'll be with you. And as far as I'm concerned…" She waved her hand over Asami's head. "You are...absolved for that thing you said. Your Avatar wills it to be true."

Asami snorted into a loud, cathartic laugh and collapsed into Korra, exhausted.

* * *

><p>"Yasuko Sato. 122 to 158 AG. Beloved wife, mother, daughter and...dancer. It looks like 'dancer' was etched in later."<p>

Asami frowned. "I never found out why, but dad told the man who carved it to get rid of that part. I fixed it after he was convicted."

"Was it a big part of her life?"

"Not after I was born. She gave it up to be with me. That's a common thing, I suppose, but still...she was a professional. It's…" Asami chuckled dryly. "It's actually kind of funny. How they met."

"Oh?"

"You'd think it'd be at some fancy gala or charity event, right? Well, no. Mom was heading home for the evening, and then, heh, _she _nearly ran him over with her satomobile. She picked him up, dusted him off, felt so terrible about it that she asked him out to dinner…"

Korra's brows raised into her hairline. "You're kidding."

"I'm not. I'm really not. I...it was the same thing. I thought it _could _be the same thing. Well, obviously, true love at first sight doesn't happen in the same way twice, which is more than okay. Everything turned out well enough, in the end."

Korra kneeled down beside her and kissed her shoulder. "Tell me more."

Asami nodded. "Well, the craziest part was that my mom didn't even know who he was. She didn't have the slightest idea." Asami shook her head with a tiny, wistful smile. "It took her two months to realize that he'd _invented _the very thing she'd almost killed him with, and they were already a couple. Dad used to say that her hitting him with the satomobile wasn't the real miracle. It was that she learned to love him for _who he was, _not _what he was_." She kneeled down in front of the grave and wiped off some of the dirt and dust.

"Why do you think he wanted this part removed?"

"I'll never know for sure, but...I think he might have done it for me. Compared to the other things on there, being a dancer isn't so important to a little girl's memory of her mother. Maybe he wanted to make it as clear as he could that she was _family_, and that was all that mattered." Asami sighed. "He had a tendency to overthink like that, after she died. I think he was terrified of raising me wrong."

"I don't think he could have done a better job, Asami. He may have forgotten that for a little while, but he did end up remembering."

Asami nodded slowly.

Korra inspected the gravestone. She brushed her thumb against the murky writing. "I can make this seamless. If you want."

"Earthbending?"

"Yeah."

Asami's expression softened. "I...I'd like that very much."

Korra slid her fingertips across the stone, recarving the lost words into the grave. "Dancer. I guess that explains why you're so graceful."

Asami smiled. "I guess it does."

Korra looked to the gravestone right beside it. "Hir-"

"No. I'll do it." Asami rose to her feet and shook her head. "Hiroshi Sato. 120 AG to 174 AG."

"...he didn't have a funeral."

"No one could come."

"I would. All of us would."

"For me. Not for him."

Korra looked away, and clearly had no response to that. "I couldn't help but notice your father's epitaph is blank."

"I didn't know what to put on it. I didn't even know if I wanted to have him buried next to mom. But, it was the right thing to do, even if I'm not quite sure my mother would have forgiven him, or that my father felt he deserved to be beside her again."

"I think it was the right thing to do." Korra ran her palm across Hiroshi's gravestone. "I can add something here, too. I'll need your words, though."

Asami closed her eyes and took a deep breath. In truth, she'd always known what to put there. She'd just never had the courage to do it. To say them. Make them real. "Beloved husband, father, son and inventor." She winced. "...and a quote."

Korra nodded for her to continue.

"Success is doing more for the world than the world does for you."

"That explains a lot…" Korra focused on the stone for a moment, and then there it was. Exactly the epitaph she'd wanted, in the same lettering as the one on her mother's. Sometimes, it was easy to forget how perceptive Korra was.

Asami stood silently for a long time, unsure of how to organize her thoughts. She kneeled down to her knees and bowed her head in front of his gravestone. Part of her wanted to break down and cry again, but somehow she felt that wasn't the best way to move forward. Not yet, at least.

"_I can't forgive myself for all the horrible things I've done. And I never expect you to forgive me. I tore our family apart, and destroyed our good name. But in a life of regret, you're the one thing I look back on that makes me smile. I just want you to know I'm so proud of you, Asami. You are the greatest thing I ever created."_

Asami pressed her palm on the stone and closed her eyes. "I love you, Dad," she whispered. "I forgive you…" She turned around and rested her back on his gravestone, wiping away the tears forming in her eyes. "I forgive you."

And that time, she truly meant it.

Korra sat down next to her, resting her back on her mother's tombstone. She took Asami's hand in hers and squeezed. "No sketching today?"

"I just want to..._be._ If that's okay."

"Today's about you, Asami. If it's okay with you, it's okay with me."

Asami closed her eyes and rested her head on Korra's shoulder. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>"...because with larger aircraft, and a more powerful engine, it's entirely possible to out-do airships in terms of speed, efficiency and commercial use. Imagine if you could get on an airplane, with a bunch of other people, and fly to Omashu in a matter of hours. You land, you get out. You're in Omashu," said Asami as she opened the doors to her workshop, Artana in tow.<p>

"That would certainly make traveling much faster, and simpler for the passengers. There's no such thing as air traffic, after all," said Artana.

Asami set her files down on her workbench and smiled. "Well, I'm not so sure about that. With enough airplanes in the air, it might become a problem. Again, thank you for accompanying me on the ferry. It's always a treat to bounce ideas off of fresh ears."

Artana shrugged and settled her cleanly organized papers next to Asami's. "Think nothing of it. We were coming from the same place, so it would have been rather odd of me to avoid you." She smiled just a little. "And, to be perfectly honest, you _did _just find me a home. Which is wonderful, as I'm sure I've mentioned a thousand times by now."

"I lived there for a few months myself. I know just how wonderful it is."

Artana nodded and was silent for a moment. "I don't mean to speak out of line, and let me know if I am-"

Asami snickered and held up her palm. "I'm not a tyrant, Artana. Just your boss. It's a free country. By all means, speak your mind. I wouldn't have hired you if you agreed with me on everything."

"No, that's not quite what I meant. Though, I do appreciate the reminder." She ran her fingers through her dark brown hair. "You're more approachable today. At ease. No less professional, of course, but more open."

Asami leaned against her workbench and took a deep breath. "It's that big a change, huh?"

"I haven't known you for very long, but from my perspective it's almost as if you're a different person. Almost."

"I guess it would look like that for you. My previous behavior, which I apologize for, was...I was not myself. Or, at least not completely. All you need to know, though, is that there's going to be a little less doom and gloom around here."

"That's very good to hear, Miss Sato."

"_Please, call me Hiroshi."_

"Please, call me Asami."

* * *

><p>"Now, just so we're clear…" said General Iroh, holding his hand radio. "You're <em>absolutely sure<em> you harvested the entirety of the Foggy Swamp?"

"_Yes. I'm sure. I was there for the entire operation," _grunted Kuvira. "_Did Raiko not send you a copy of my report? It has three years worth of campaign information and the entire structure of my old regime, not to mention training regimens, viable counters to their in-grained formations…"_

General Iroh picked up the very, _very _thick binder. "No, I've got one and I've read it cover to cover." He set it back down on the table. "If what you're saying is true, then I either found a _second _swamp in the same location or…" He looked over the ridge and took another peak at the positively _massive _tree in the center of an infinitely thick tangle of vines and nature. "It grew back."

"_It _what_?"_

"I'm looking at the Banyan Grove tree right now, Kuvira. The swamp appears completely untouched."

"_...they grow back. The vines grow back. No. No. General, I'm sorry, but I have to cut this conversation short. I have to write a report on what is now a very possible worst case scenario for our world."_

"This scenario being what, exactly?"

"_The end of everything."_

* * *

><p><strong>This arc for Asami, refusing to internalize that her father is actually dead and that she 'already' grieved for him came about almost immediately after I wrote the first chapter. I wanted to see if I could do it, and have her become angrier, more bitter and violent through the chapters little by little. There had to be a natural progression.<strong>

**This chapter was incredibly painful for me to write, as I was drawing on my own personal experience with unhealthy ways of dealing with emotional pain. Some of you may think that Asami saying _that _to Korra, vomiting and then having a total emotional breakdown is unrealistic and melodramatic. Well, that's simply not true. Asami's behavior in this chapter is almost point for point what happened to me**.

**Alas, the story can't continue until Asami comes to terms that, yes, her father is dead, and you can't skip the grieving process. She had her dad to help her through the pain of losing her mother, but she didn't realize she'd need someone to help her through the loss of her father. And learning to forgive him.**

**Anyway, lighter notes:**

**The quote that Asami wants on Hiroshi's grave is slightly adapted one by Henry Ford, whom you all should know was the inspiration for Hiroshi's character in the first place. Not his appearance, though. That was Teddy Roosevelt.**

**The extended telephone exchange with Asami and Korra was one of the funnest things I've ever gotten to write. Communicating body language and action only through dialogue is always a treat. **

**I'm thinking Artana is voiced by the very talented Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. Some of you may know her as Motoko Kusanagi.**

**As always, feedback is both encouraged and appreciated! No matter how small, random, scathing, rambling or massive your thoughts may be, I'd love to hear them.**


	10. Oldest Growth, Part I

**Beta'd by BSG-Legacy**

**Considering the growing importance of the Satohawk, BSG-Legacy and I pooled our heads together and came up with what it, more or less, looks like. So behold! The Future Industries Model 88B, better known as the SATOHAWK.**

** i dot imgur dot com / Ac9EstO dot jpg**

**[Note: Not production model, merely a prototype]**

**Original design, coloring, clean-up and random detailing done by yours truly. Proof-of-concept art (what you're actually looking at, if you follow the web address), diesel-punking and general badassery by BSG-Legacy. Those rotors are timed so they don't hit each other, by the way.**

**Inspired by the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache, the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion, and the Douglas DC-3.**

* * *

><p>Lee, who dared to call himself a member of the White Lotus, was an embarrassment. It was people like him that had caused the once great society to fall so far into the modern era. Artana made her move and, even more shockingly from a statistical perspective, <em>won.<em>

The white lotus gambit was used as a secret code for a reason; No decent practitioner of Pai Sho would ever be stupid enough to try it. It was a risk so easily countered that Artana genuinely considered giving the man a few hints.

But she didn't, so she won.

"That's game." Artana took her fingers off of her white lotus tile and smiled at Lee. "I have _never _won a match that way, and the irony that it was against you, of all people, is very fitting."

Lee looked between the board and her several times, incredulously. "You know, I knew I wasn't the best player, but this is just...I have no idea how to feel right now."

Artana chuckled. "Laughing would be a good place to start." She'd been nearly certain that she'd win even before challenging him, but giving herself a handicap made the entire experience much more interesting. Such a shame he hadn't even come close to victory.

"I guess you're right. Thanks for the game, Artana." Lee snickered and put his helmet back on. "Break's over, though, so until next time," he said waving as he went off to do...whatever it was that the White Lotus did.

She still wasn't entirely clear on that subject.

Artana returned his wave and packed up her Pai Sho board. Life on Air Temple Island was much more lavish than she'd expected it to be. For a nation of supposed nomads and monks unbound by earthly attachments, the Acolytes and Airbenders certainly didn't lack for much of anything.

Room and board were of no charge. Even _transportation _fees were covered. Artana had insisted that she _at least _help with the cost of food, considering how many lived at the temple.

Pema, the delightful wife of Master Tenzin, had given her a very firm 'No', refusing to speak on the subject again.

She was most likely quite accustomed to that particular conversation, but Artana still felt as if she were taking something for nothing, even if her work on the 'defense project' was a 'great and noble contribution'. It was important, she agreed, but it didn't put food in the mouths of the starving.

Artana cracked her neck and flattened her earthbent table and chairs. She felt it would've been rude to move a few outside for their game, so she'd decided to simply make her own.

"I didn't know you were an earthbender," said the Avatar, approaching with her polar bear dog.

Artana chuckled. "And a good morning to you too, Avatar."

"Oh, heh, right. Sorry. Good morning, and you can just call me Korra." Her face sunk. "Please just call me Korra. Every time somebody calls me by my title it makes me think something horrible just happened, or is about to happen, or is indirectly my fault…" She shrugged into a smile. "But what're you gonna do? Korra, though."

"Okay, Korra," she said, showing a hint of a smile. It was refreshing, yet also distinctly odd, to be so informal towards the Avatar and her boss. She would adapt, though. She always did. "And I wouldn't quite say I'm an earthbender. I can bend earth, yes, but it really isn't my strong suit, relative to other things."

"Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense."

Artana narrowed her eyes. "Should I have told you? The Earth Empire had us identified as non-benders and benders for census purposes, but I thought this wasn't done in the United Republic since the customs officer didn't ask."

"We, or they, I guess, don't do that, no! No, no. It's fine!" The Avatar-no, Korra shook her head, held her palms up in a placating manner and chuckled anxiously. "It's just surprising! I assumed you were a non-bender because you were an engineer and wow that sounds bad when I say it out loud."

Artana shrugged. "It's fine. You wouldn't be the first to make that assumption, and you're hardly the last. Besides, that little misconception has been pretty useful when I've gotten into fights."

Korra laughed once. "Hah, yeah." She blinked and looked at her from head to toe. "Wait, did you even move your feet? How did you-"

Asami came sprinting out of the temple. She skidded to a stop and nearly tackled Korra. "Korra, we need to go to the swamp. Right now," she said authoritatively.

"Why? What happened?"

"It grew back. Look, I'll explain on the way. Just grab everyone and meet me at my estate. Mako's at work, Bolin and Opal are at Narook's. We're taking off in two hours. Artana! You, Varrick and Zhu Li have the next three days off. If you work anymore hours without vacation time the government will have my head." She sprinted off toward one the White Lotus speedboats. "GRAB KUVIRA, TOO!"

Korra stared after her like she'd grown a tail. "You want me to _what?! _ Do you even know what you just said!?"

"YES! I DO! I'LL EXPLAIN ON THE WAY! JUST DO IT!" she said over the roaring engine of the speedboat. "TWO HOURS!" With that, the boat roared off from the island and towards the city.

Korra blinked a few times. "Uh, nice talking to you, Artana. See you, later! Have a nice vacation, gotta go!" She ran back into the temple and in less than ten seconds Artana saw her soar into the sky on her glider.

Artana raised a brow as Korra vanished into the skyline. The swamp _grew back, _and she had three full days of paid vacation.

And she had no idea how to fill that time. Because she'd never had a vacation.

Artana smacked her forehead.

* * *

><p>Bolin raised his brows. Clearly Korra was in a panic, but he'd always had a little trouble understanding her when she had a thousand things to say at once. She'd barreled through the doors of Narook's looking like she'd just <em>sprinted<em> there from the temple, and nearly pounced on him and Opal.

"...okay, can you repeat that?" he said with a mouthful of noodles.

"_TheswampgrewbackwehavetogotheremeetmeatAsami'splace!"_

Opal tilted her head. "All I caught was Asami and swamp."

"I heard the word 'grew'," said Bolin. "Don't ask me how.'

Bolin and Opal exchanged a look. "_The swamp grew back?!_" they said in unison.

Korra nodded and gestured out the door. "Meet me at Asami's! I've gotta go find Mako and Kuvira, _yes I know what I said_!" Then, she was out the door with a burst of air.

Bolin leaped out of his booth and sprinted over to Narook. "Quick, I need a takeout bag! It's an Avatar emergency!" And just like that, his noodles were safe and sound in a cup and bag. Which was lucky, since Opal was dragging him outside in a huff.

* * *

><p>"I have a <em>job<em>, Korra! I can't just go off on adventures at the drop of a hat anymore," groaned Mako. He'd been seriously worried when Korra had all but _crashed _through his office window at the newly refurbished RCPD Headquarters.

"Uh huh." Korra pouted, opened his office door into the larger precinct floor and cracked her neck. "HEY LIN!"

Lin slammed her office door open with such force he was sure she'd broken one of the building's support beams. "_What_?!"

"I need to borrow Mako. How much vacation time does he have?"

"Plenty! _Just take him!_"

Mako pinched his brow. "Thank you, Chief!" That was that. "...so meet you at Asami's place?"

"Yup! Gotta go grab Kuvira, but I'll see you there!" she said, leaping out of his window again.

"_What?! _Are you crazy?!_"_

* * *

><p>Kuvira was shocked, and that was putting things lightly. When she'd heard <em>violent <em>knocking on her apartment door, the one that the United Republic had supplied, furnished and watched over to ensure she didn't step out of line, she'd honestly expected to be taken back to jail. Or worse.

The last thing she expected was a very severe looking Korra holding her glider as if it were a deadly weapon. Which it arguably was.

"Kuvira, grab your gear. We're going to the swamp. Right now."

Kuvira narrowed her eyes and nodded. "Understood." So they _were _taking her reports seriously. She reached out toward the fixtures in her small apartment and, in a matter of seconds, reformed them around her arms into gauntlets made of thin metal strips.

Korra grew a very bemused expression. "I _cannot _believe that, out of everyone, you're the only one besides Asami who didn't hesitate. Ugh." She began stomping down the hall and motioned for Kuvira to follow.

Kuvira did so, keeping pace beside her. "Who else will be accompanying us?"

"It's going to be you, me, Asami, Mako, Bolin and Opal, so think of this as a...field test. If you don't try anything, and are genuinely helpful, I'll let Raiko know that. However…" She grabbed Kuvira by the throat and slammed her up against the wall. "If you so much as _look _at Asami the wrong way…" Her eyes shined brightly, transitioning to that pure, powerful white light. "_I will cut you down where you stand and deliver your head to Baatar," _she seethed. "Are we clear?"

Kuvira licked the inside of her lips and trembled very, very slightly. There was no shame in fearing the power of the Avatar, she knew that. However, that didn't mean she was going to panic in front of her, even though she didn't doubt for a moment that Korra was bluffing. "We are."

Korra's eyes returned to normal and released her. "Good. Let's go."

Asami handed out copies of Kuvira's report on Spirit Vines, the swamp, and military theory to the entire team. It bothered her immensely that she'd come to many of the same conclusions that Kuvira had, simply by chance, the moment they'd caught the trucks trying to smuggle vines out of the city.

The end of everything.

They stood on her estate's landing pad, just inside the enormous and imposing shadow of the Satohawk. She'd just spent the last hour detailing it in black and red, and it looked _gorgeous and terrifying._

Perfect.

Asami held up her copy of the report. "Okay, long story short: The swamp, which Kuvira harvested until there was nothing left, her words, has _grown back_. It managed to do this in around seven months. The United Forces discovered this just a few days ago, and are now focusing on securing a perimeter around it."

Kuvira opened her mouth, but held her tongue. Good.

"How are they going to do that? The swamp is enormous." asked Opal.

Asami shook her head. "That, for the time being, isn't our concern. We need to figure out _how _this happened, and if possible, how to stop it from happening again. Korra, we'll discuss the spiritual ramifications of that on the flight over."

Korra narrowed her eyes. "Okay."

Bolin pointed up toward the Satohawk's dual rotors. "What happened to the blades that tilted? Those were _really cool._"

"Yeah, I know, but there were too many moving parts, and that design was extremely experimental in the first place. It just wasn't feasible. At least, not yet." Asami marched in through the back of the Satohawk, but stopped as her boots hit the metal ramp.

They were all together in one place. It was as good a time as any. Mostly.

Asami turned around and gave everyone, except Kuvira, an apologetic look. "...and I'm sorry for being...not quite myself these past few months. I was cruel and angry and I took it out on everyone, worst of all you guys. I can't thank you enough for sticking by me, and I can't do anything that could possibly repay you for what you did."

Korra, Bolin, Opal and Mako all made a simultaneous series of remarks and gestures that amounted to "Don't worry about it, it's what friends do!"

"Yeah." Asami smiled gratefully. She spun on her heel and walked into the cockpit. "I cooked something up to express my gratitude, but it's a surprise and I can only show you once we're flying!" She made one final scan of instruments, confirming everything was where it should be. "I've labeled your seats, so choose the one with your name on it. If you don't you'll have the wrong equipment and survival packs under the seat." She strapped herself in and began running through the pre-flight checks. Which was redundant, since she'd already done it seven times while she was waiting for everyone to arrive. It was still important to keep the routine, though.

Opal chuckled and strapped herself into her labeled seat. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"Almost!"

"I would have thought the new one would be swankier..." Bolin scooched in beside her and began munching on his takeout. "I mean, it's really cool, and spacious, pretty sure we could fit Naga in here. Maybe even a satomobile..."

Mako sat across from Bolin. "The hot tub is only for the luxury models. This one is custom."

Korra laughed and sat next to Mako, nearest to the cockpit. "Hot tubs on an airplane. Sounds like something Varrick would buy."

"If he hasn't already made it," added Opal.

Kuvira sat down next to Mako, nearest to the exit ramp. She stayed silent. Wonderful.

"It's not an airplane. It's a...Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft. I'll think of a better classification later." Asami turned around and gave them all a hard look. "Okay. Does _anyone _have to pee? This is a seven hour flight, and I'd like to get as much of it done before we have to take a break."

Korra's jaw dropped. "_Seven hours? _How fast can this thing go?"

"The swamp is over fifteen hundred miles away," added Kuvira.

"No, I did the math right." Asami grinned at everyone except Kuvira. "Oh, did I forgot to mention that this baby can go two hundred miles an hour? Because it can."

Bolin choked on his noodles and Opal patted him on the back.

Mako raised his brows well into his hairline. "Leave it to you to make the world's first flying sports satomobile."

"No kidding," chuckled Opal. "Well, I'm okay on the bathroom right now."

Korra rolled her eyes and tightened her straps. "Yeah, I'm good."

Bolin shook his head.

"I went before I got here," said Mako.

Asami frowned. "Kuvira?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have to pee?"

"No, I'm all right."

Asami turned back to the controls and closed the exit ramp. "Okay, so below your seats you're going to find some treats and equipment. Bolin, I got one of those...disk things you like use with lava. Opal, you have a spare wingsuit and lots of snacks. Mako, you...don't really need any equipment, so I just got you a few books and an extra pair of clothes."

"It's fine. I appreciate the thought."

"...and some chocolate."

"_Yes."_

Korra opened her bag. "...huh. Metalbending cables. I should really just _have _these."

"I could say the same thing about waterskins, but everytime I bring it up you-"

Korra grunted and sliced her hand across her throat.

"Yes. That. You do that."

Kuvira raised a brow as she pulled out a set of her own cables. "This must be some mistake. I find it very unlikely that you would supply me with weaponry."

"No. It's not a mistake. You're the one who outlined that all of my fears weren't unfounded in that report of yours, so you're coming with. And, as much as I hate to say it, we need you. You and Korra are the only ones who know how to navigate a swamp. We'll go over the rest once we're in the air."

Korra crossed her arms. "Let's just get moving."

"All right, here we go." Asami flicked the engine on and the Satohawk _roared _as it's dual, alternating rotors spun faster and faster. She pulled the collective stick up and the massive aircraft lifted off of the pad, rising and rising above her estate. She banked right and pitched forward, sending the craft screaming southeast.

Straight toward the swamp.

* * *

><p>Lin scanned a few headlines in the newspaper as she scarfed down her pathetic excuse for lunch. Unrest in the Earth Kingdom. Warlords gaining strength. Obviously. Border disputes. Fire Nation reluctant to intervene, and on and on it went. If it was up to her, she'd just send in a team of Combustion Benders to blow up the 'leaders' of the rebel factions. The rest would be scattered and herded right into her net.<p>

Her phone rang, because _of course it did._ She flicked her wrist and metalbent the telephone into her hands. "Chief Beifong speaking."

"_Lin, who do you have assigned as your Special Response commander?"_

"Really, Tenzin? No hello? No how are you?"

"_There's no time! Listen to me, some of my airbenders just reported seeing a violent sandstorm approaching from the east, towards the United Republic border."_

"A sandstorm? That's ridiculous. Your airbenders must getting lightheaded from all that flying around. We're nowhere near..." Lin narrowed her eyes at the newspaper, remembering the _last time _somebody saw a weird storm. "Damnit. It's Saikhan, he's got command. He has no idea what he's going up against."

"_I'm not sure any of us truly do."_

"We have to move fast, or we might not get another chance at catching this guy. I'll ground the airships and get my officers to keep the refugees as far away from the border as possible."

"_Some of my airbenders and I will meet you there. The best way to counter a sandstorm is to diffuse it entirely, and you're going to need us for that."_

"Thanks."

"_Anytime."_

Lin violently hung up the telephone and rubbed her temples.

"Korra and her merry band of vigilantes couldn't have picked a worse time to leave."

* * *

><p>Korra furrowed her brow and stared at the thick report Asami had given her. After a primer on how Spirit Vines actually <em>worked, <em>which was pretty interesting, it became...confusing. And that was being kind. She knew enough political and military theory to get by on her own, but she was _not _equipped to understand the complexities behind spirit vine weaponry and somebody being angry. Or something. Mad? Why were people mad?

"Okay, I'm still lost," she said, sighing.

Bolin scratched his head. "Yeah, this really just isn't sinking in. All I've got so far is that, okay, spirit weapons are super powerful, and the vines are all over the place which means that basically anyone can make a...'dirty' bomb? Which makes sense. You just need a battery and some wires."

Mako raised a brow. "You can't be serious."

Asami snorted. "He is. I've tested that a dozen times. It's really that simple."

Kuvira nodded. "While that is indeed troubling, it is unfortunately the least of our worries. It may be easier if I explain this out loud." She cleared her throat. "Imagine, if you will, that the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation were still at war, and there was no United Republic. You have two nations with ideological differences that are actively hostile to one another. Now, once you put Spirit Weapons in play on both sides, they stop fighting outright wars and limit hostilities to small skirmishes."

Opal hummed. "But why would they do that? They have Spirit Weapons. They could just destroy anything they wanted to, at any time." She blinked and paled. "Oh, now I get it. I sort of wish I didn't."

Mako pinched his brow. "This is insane. Both sides can wipe the other out entirely, so nobody tries anything. If they attack, or use Spirit Weapons, the other guys will do the same thing, destroying _both _countries in the process."

Kuvira nodded grimly. "Mutually assured destruction, or M.A.D. for short. It's important to understand that concept before we move on as to why that _doesn't _apply to our situation."

Korra frowned. "Why did you explain it if it doesn't apply? What was the point?"

"A simple one. In theory, when M.A.D. is in play, it would maintain a sort of...tainted balance between the two large nations. No large wars. No cities destroyed in an instant. If one were to take that away…"

Korra's eyes could not have been more outside of her head. "Then there's nothing stopping anyone from using them! The Red Lotus could destroy an entire city, but we can't use them, not that we should, because there's nothing for us to target!"

Asami sighed very deeply. "That's exactly it, Korra. If Spirit Vines didn't grow back, this would be something we could control. We could just lock them away in some vault forty stories underground and no one would be able to use them. But they _do _grow back. So we have to stop that from happening."

Korra crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Asami did have a point. A very good one, in fact. Spirit Vines, thanks to a few bad people, would only inevitably end up being used for weapons. Limiting their growth may be possible, but stunting it all together gave her a bad taste in her...everything. It was wrong. Raava didn't need to remind her of that, even though she did. "...we can't just stop them from growing. We have to find another way."

"Korra, please. Spirits can't die. Humans can. You're human, too."

"That doesn't mean I'm just going to be okay with this."

"I don't expect you to be. If you truly believe that there's another way to deal with this, and I don't even know how we'd _stop these things from growing _in the first place, then we'll try that first."

"Okay, okay." Korra frowned. "We won't know until we get there, anyway." She tapped her thighs. "...so...uh..."

Bolin looked between Kuvira, Mako and Korra. "...yeah."

Opal crooked her lips to the side. "The lack of appropriate conversation topics is going to get really old, really fast."

Kuvira bowed her head. "I wouldn't be adverse to the rest of you acting as if I weren't present, if that would make this trip easier."

"It wouldn't. At least, not in the long run. We all have to get used to the idea that you'll be around, whether we like it or not," grumbled Korra.

"I _really _don't like that I agree with that sentiment," said Asami. "If we have to keep making trips to the Earth…"

"Kingdom?" suggested Bolin.

"Republic?" added Mako.

"It's Federation. Calling it now," said Korra.

"What? No, it'll be a Confederacy," said Opal.

"You're all wrong. It's going to be a Union," scoffed Asami.

Kuvira folded her hands in front of her. "I don't see what's wrong with something neutral, like 'Nation'."

Bolin shrugged. "Yeah, but then we'd have the Fire Nation, the Air Nation, _and _the Earth Nation. It'd...wait, would that actually throw things off balance, Korra?"

"I have no idea. Knowing my luck, having six nations in the first place screwed up the Avatar cycle." She blinked. "Oh. Apparently Raava says that's ridiculous. It doesn't matter _where _the next Avatar is born, as long as they're the right kind of bender. Huh."

"I don't understand. Who is Raava?" asked Kuvira.

"She's the spirit of harmony that lives inside of me. Looks like a big white kite with blue markings and long tentacles. Also, she said, uh, things that..." Korra cleared her throat. "I'm not going to repeat, about you. _Really _nasty things. Okay, cut it out. Stop. I _get it._"

"Does this happen often?" asked Kuvira, staring at Korra incredulously.

Mako shrugged. "She started doing that, talking to herself, a few weeks after she got back to Republic City. No idea why."

Korra rolled her eyes. "I'm not _talking to myself, _I'm talking to the spirit inside of me."

"The giant blue thing?"

"No, that's my _inner _spirit."

"They sound like the same thing. You just flipped the words around."

"They're not the same thing! Why am I even arguing this?! You _saw _Raava!"

"Was I supposed to _automatically _know what that was? This is the first time you've ever actually explained all of this to me!"

"Well, sorry for not just blabbing about Avatar stuff! This is the first time you've ever been _interested!"_

Bolin sighed. "Now this?" He looked at Kuvira and pointed between Mako and Korra. "This happens often. _Still._"

Opal shook her head. "Way too often. We tried to-" She frowned, cutting herself off. "And here I _almost _forgot you were here, Kuvira. Way to derail the conversation."

Asami cleared her throat. "Hey, here's a fun idea!" Korra could _feel _the Satohawk rapidly descend. "Everyone be quiet. Time for the surprise! It'll definitely give you guys something to talk about." The Satohawk leveled off. "Korra, open the side door."

Korra looked between everyone and shrugged. She unstrapped herself and slid open the side door. It locked into place and she was nearly thrown onto her back by the massive gust of wind that slammed into her.

"Woah."

Asami laughed. "I had a feeling that would be your reaction."

Korra gaped. They were five feet above the Mo Ce sea, and the wake they were making was _massive. _ They were cutting through the ocean through sheer wind alone, and water sprayed up and past them, gleaming in the midmorning sun. "This is amazing, Asami! Thank you! You guys have to come see this!"

The rest of them, excluding their ever-dependable pilot of course, gathered around the open door and watched the sea fly below them. It was surreal. They were moving _so quickly _that the beauty of it all was both amplified and frankly, a blur.

Bolin whooped. "Oh, man! I wish someone was filming this! This is...well, y'know, filming it might not capture all of the...wonderfulness here. Black and white just wouldn't do this any justice."

Opal leaned over his shoulder. "It really wouldn't. And I thought flying _on my own _was something special."

Mako whistled. "Wish you could see this, Asami. You're really missing out."

"I'd rather keep us in the air, if it's all the same to you."

Korra reached out to the sea, pulling at the water. Much to her surprise, she couldn't focus on the water long enough to bend it. "I can't waterbend. That's weird."

"We're probably moving too fast. Try bending some of the water that's being splashed up."

Korra nodded and did just that, and of course it worked. Why wouldn't it? Asami had thought of it. "Yup, that did it." She swirled the water around her arm and flicked it at Mako, soaking him to the bone. Before he had a chance to say _anything, _she dried him off and dropped the water back into the sea.

Mako frowned at her. "Very funny."

Korra looked away, totally innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

* * *

><p>Lin, Saikhan, and a squad of RCPD metalbenders marched through the hastily constructed earthbent shantytown that just outside the city limits. It grew larger by the day as more refugees huddled along the border, seeking asylum in the only place they could.<p>

The weak, starving and destitute looked up at them as they passed, pleading silently to be allowed passage into the United Republic. The honest truth was that Lin didn't have a choice in the matter. Raiko had wanted the borders closed, which wasn't quite possible without building a wall, so he'd settled on securing Republic City instead.

They couldn't allow more Spirit Vines to be smuggled out of the city. There was just no telling what could happen. The cyclone was growing larger in the distance. It was exactly as Iroh had described it.

Big, brown and obvious.

"Saikhan, is there _any _place we can move these people that isn't inside the city?"

"No, ma'am. Even if we were to get them in temporarily, there are just too many to keep track of. Quite a few would run off and we wouldn't even know it."

Lin frowned. "That's going to happen no matter what we do. Somebody is going to slip past us, but the key is controlling who that is. Refugees? Fine. Not my problem. Terrorists? Not on my watch." She looked down at her feet. "...here's an idea. Why don't we move them underground? Out of sight, out of mind."

"Impossible. We don't have enough earthbenders to make a hole this big that quickly. There are just too many people."

Lin scoffed. "Yeah, _we _might not have enough earthbenders…" She jabbed her thumb at the slowly gathering refugees. "But _they _sure as hell do. Lots of them with military training." She glared at Saikhan. "Well? What are you waiting for?! Get it done!"

Saikhan saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" He turned on his heel and sprinted off into the center of the camp, yelling out a call for earthbenders and emergencies and things of that nature. The specifics didn't matter at the moment.

Lin furrowed her brow at the growing cyclone. How were they supposed to beat that thing when an _entire military division _couldn't do a thing? Well, no, that wasn't true. They couldn't see anything, and whoever was bending that sand wasn't dumb enough to try and take on that many soldiers on their own.

Tanks, airships and mechas couldn't beat that thing.

Tenzin was right. Their only hope was reversing the sandstorm through airbending.

Lin looked up as Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo and Kai landed next to her in perfect formation. It was still weird seeing them act like an organized military, especially since Tenzin had slipped into that role much more easily than she'd expected. "You sure you can take that thing down?"

Tenzin nodded. "Absolutely. Two master airbenders and four excellent ones should have no trouble diffusing this storm."

Bumi grinned. "Relax, Lin! We've got the good old 'nobody knows how to fight an airbender' advantage on our side. We'll take 'em out before they can do any damage."

Lin covered her face with her hand. "That's really not something you should rely on."

"Why not? Every airbender does. Even Zaheer."

Tenzin raised a brow at his brother. "He can also _fly._"

Bumi rolled his eyes. "_Besides _that, obviously."

Saikhan sprinted up to them. "Refugees are secure and accounted for, Chief. We're ready when you are."

Lin cleared her throat. "Okay! Here's how this is going to go!" She waited a moment before everyone to face her. "Our top priority is _subduing _whoever is causing this storm. Avoid deadly force unless absolutely necessary. Tenzin, you and the airbenders are going to make it impossible for the bender to generate a storm. Crosswinds, your own tornadoes, whatever. Just make it happen. The rest of you, we're going to split into two groups. Saikhan, you'll take half the squad and charge this guy head on. Other half will set up an ambush underground with me and strike when we get an opening. Understood?"

Her metalbenders saluted, and the airbenders nodded.

"Good. Let's _move!"_

* * *

><p>"Mind if I sit here?"<p>

Asami looked up and smiled at Korra. "As long as you promise not to touch _anything_. That co-pilot seat is fully functional."

Korra nodded and say down in the leather chair. "Ooh, comfy."

"I designed this with long flights as a possible use, so it only made sense for the pilot to be comfortable through it."

"Super comfortable. I can see why you haven't complained about being left out of the...awkward shenanigans back there."

Asami smirked as she tuned her ears toward the going ons of her passengers. Mako and Kuvira were discussing stealth and sabotage tactics, while Bolin and Opal were having a heated debate about the artistic merit of movers. "Well, there's that, and keeping all of us in an enclosed space isn't the best of ideas."

Korra nodded and leaned back in her chair. "...so now that everyone else is distracted, what's the real reason you wanted Kuvira along? I doubt you need her to navigate the swamp."

Asami sighed. "That was part of it. I wasn't lying. She's also the best equipped to explain her own theory, which all of you need to understand if we're going to take on this problem."

"What was the rest?"

Asami gave her a sidelong glance. "Remember how you said the swamp had a sympathetic spiritual energy?"

"Yeah. It shows you things you need to see, or have yet to see. Or something."

"Right. Well, that's only if it wants to do that. The nature of the Foggy Swamp was actually in one of the books we got from Wan Shi Tong, and while some of it was more metaphor than explanation, it was pretty clear that something about the swamp is reactive to humans in a generally positive way, but only if that person is 'worthy'."

"Worthy? That probably means 'spiritual' or 'good natured'."

"That was my guess, too. Think of this trip as a test. If the swamp shows her things, then she's not the monster I think she is, even if I hate her. If it doesn't, then she's just a tool in Raiko's big game of diplomacy. The point is that I'll know for sure."

Korra nodded. "Makes sense. I gave her a similar explanation. Though it involved more threats…" She raised a brow and looked back into the passenger cabin. "I agree with what you're doing, but it's still confusing me as to why you did this without me even suggesting it."

"There's a very simple reason for that." Asami frowned. "I trust you more than I hate her."

"I want to smile at that, but it's sort of hard."

"It is, isn't it?"

"How much longer until we get to the swamp?"

"A little less than three hours, I think."

"Asami."

"Hm?"

Korra smiled kindly. "You look better."

"Thanks," she said, returning the smile. Better, but not at her best. "I'll get there." Asami narrowed her eyes at the streaks of land below them. "I'll get there."

"I know. And I'll be right there with you when you do."

* * *

><p>Tenzin took a deep breath and focused on the rotation of the sandstorm. It was a simple counter-clockwise motion. Logically, removing it was as simple as reversing it and saturating the air currents to such a degree that no sand could be bent effectively.<p>

Somehow, he doubted that it would be that simple.

He had positioned his family and Kai perfectly. They were just inside the shantytown, using the buildings as cover. Sneak attacks only worked once, and if there was one thing airbenders excelled at, it was that. Among a few thousand other things, of course.

The storm was almost upon them. They were ready.

"NOW!" he yelled, spiraling out of cover and sending a massive, constant stream of air into the cyclone, which was quickly followed by four more.

The storm shuddered as it strained to retain its shape, but little by little its structure began to collapse. Then, it stopped spinning entirely, and began spiraling in on itself, using the streams of airbending to make it go faster and faster.

And then, with no warning at all, the sand vanished. Replaced by the bright glaring of the sun.

Glass.

Tenzin's eyes grew wide as he leapt back behind cover, narrowly avoiding a few thousand shards of glass being hurled straight into the street. He looked across the alleyway, confirming that everyone was all right and unharmed.

Glassbending. Impossible. There had to be another explanation.

Saikhan and his men sprinted past them in pairs and dropped low to the ground, erecting a large stone wall that just narrowly blocked the next stream of glass. Two of them were swallowed by a sudden manifestation of quicksand, only for their comrades to pull them back up.

"Ikki, Meelo! Get out of here _right now_! There's no time for arguing, it's too dangerous! Just go!" Thankfully, they listened for once and used the shantytown to escape back into the city. The glass must have scared them just as much as it did him.

Glass.

Tenzin furrowed his brow. He couldn't out think this. He didn't have the military mind for it. "Bumi! How do we counter _glass_?!"

"Same way you counter everything else! Spread the enemy thin and flank them! If we go at this guy all at once, from four different directions, he'll be overwhelmed since he has to deal with the metalbenders too!"

"Are you _sure_?"

"Hey, it worked once before! And this time we don't even need a catapult"

Tenzin set his teeth. "Okay! _GO!"_

All five of them lifted off the ground and started flying haphazardly, sending blasts of air down at the sandbender, who was preoccupied with the slowly advancing metalbenders. Still, every attack was blocked by a shield of earth that seemed to form out of nowhere. Streams of sand and glass streaked through the air and on the ground in rapid succession.

Tenzin rolled and, acting on instinct, diverted the sandblasts instead of attempting to block them. It worked. "We can't block these attacks, they're moving too quickly! Try diverting their current or cutting straight through them!"

The sandbender seemed to hear him, as the next thing he knew, the bender was _lifting off of the ground in a_...sandspout. Tenzin was so baffled by the act itself that he was nearly shredded to pieces by a river of glass. For an earthbender to be able to call upon their element while disconnected to the earth was an incredibly difficult feat.

The sandspout, however, was something else entirely. Jinora and Kai worked in tandem to disrupt the spout, while the rest of them just needed to focus on keeping the bender's attention. The sandspout wobbled, shook and, with a perfectly timed cyclone from Jinora, crumbled into nothing, leaving the sandbender to plummet.

Just as he hit the ground, the sandbender slammed his fist into the earth, cracking it wide open and restarting the sandstorm with _everyone inside of it_. The shockwave threw Saikhan's metalbenders off their feet, and Tenzin struggled to stay level as the cyclone began to compress around them.

From below the shattered earth, Tenzin saw a series of metal cables spring through the air and latch onto the surface.

_Be careful, Lin._

* * *

><p>Lin launched herself upward, blasting through the rubble of the sandbenders <em>ridiculous <em>attack. She and the rest of her squad flew up to the surface, surrounding him. Five pairs of cables shot straight at the sandbender, and they managed to deflect all but her own.

She wrapped her cables around the bender's torso, and pulled as hard as she could, knocking them off balance. That tiny moment of weakness was all that her team needed, and in the blink of an eye he was bound by ten pairs of cables.

"It's over!" Lin scowled. "You're done! Stop struggling, because there's no way you can get out of this!"

The sandbender was silent, and Lin _really _wished she could drop her stance and take off that stupid cloak, but she didn't want to leave anything to chance. The airbenders landed beside her, looking a little battered but otherwise okay.

Lin opened her mouth and closed it again. Something was off. The sandbender didn't _need _to move to create the storm. At least, Lin hadn't seen anything resembling that kind of physicality. "Tenzin, I've got a bad feeling about this. Rip off that cloak so we can get out of here."

Before he had a chance to answer, a chill ran up her spine as she saw the sand all around them form into one massive dome. It twisted inward on itself, and Lin didn't need another hint as to what was going to come next.

"DISENGAGE AND BUNKER DOWN!" she screamed, retracting her cables and yanking Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora and Kai as close as she could. The sun glared off of the dome, and massive glass shards began to rain down from every direction. Lin wrapped all five of them in the thickest stone dome she could muster and thrust the floor several stories underground

After a few seconds the impacts stopped, and Lin slammed her bare foot into the ground, reaching out to the earth. She needed to make sure it was was safe. Relatively. Metalbenders, shards of glass, sand, another secret _tunnel are you kidding me?!_ Lin roared, raised them back to ground level, and punched her way out of her stone dome, stomping out into the shattered battlefield.

Three of her metalbenders hadn't been fast enough.

The sandbender was gone. It wasn't suicide. It was a gambit.

And it had paid off in spades.

"Damnit." Lin pinched her brow as the airbenders walked up to her. "_Damnit_. Even when we're prepared, we lose!"

Jinora shook her head. "We didn't lose. It was a draw, and now he knows we're capable of beating him."

Bumi frowned and crossed his arms. "Yeah, Jinora's right. That whole fight, though, sorta reminded of how dad used to spar with you and Kya, Tenzin. After you guys became masters."

"What are you talking about? The sandspout, the storms, the streams, redirecting our attacks; how was that _anything _like what dad did?" Tenzin furrowed his brow. "The only thing that changed was that he'd use all four elements, instead of just our own…" His eyes widened. "Oh no. That's what he was doing. Somehow, this sandbender was able to mimic the traits, attributes and techniques of _all four elements._ "

Lin rolled her eyes. "Great. As if things weren't bad enough already with the _glassbending._"

"It's more likely that he was using sand currents to throw the glass-"

"_I know."_

Saikhan cleared his throat and limped over. "Uh, ma'am. We've got another problem."

"What now_?"_

"A caravan of ten armored trucks were spotted leaving through the shantytown during the battle."

Lin closed her eyes and took a very deep breath. "Let me guess. Spirit Vines?"

"...yes."

"_WHY DIDN'T ANYONE STOP THEM?!"_

"They were platinum lined, ma'am!"

"Oh, of _course _it was platinum! When is it ever _not _platinum?! One crazy inventor figures out how to beat metalbenders and _everyone on the planet _steals the idea!_"_

Tenzin sighed. "We should contact Korra and let her know what happened."

"You do that. Saikhan, you're in charge for the rest of the day."

"Ma'am?"

"Shut up. If I don't go for a drink right now I'm probably going to murder someone."

* * *

><p>"That looks like the swamp all right," said Korra, resting her arm on top of of Asami's seat.<p>

Asami sighed as they approached the _enormous _mass of vines, trees and most likely other forms of crazy nature. The huge tree, however, was worth the trip alone. She'd never seen anything so magnificent and serene before, even in the Spirit World. "And I'm guessing _that _is the Banyan Grove tree, unless there's another huge tree in the area."

"Nope. That's the one."

Kuvira narrowed her eyes at the tree. "If it's anything like the original, then there should be plenty of room to land on the edge of the base."

"_Korra? Is this the right frequency?"_

Asami handed the radio off to Korra. "I was wondering if long range transmission was going to work on this thing…"

Korra shrugged. "Yeah, it is, Tenzin. What's up? We just got to the swamp, and it is _definitely _not cut down."

"_I wish had good news to offer you in return, but unfortunately, just after you left, the border was attacked by that master sandbender General Iroh spoke of."_

Korra and Asami exchanged a look. "I take it you didn't manage to capture him."

"_We almost did, but, Korra, this bender is capable of-"_

The radio cut to static.

Asami frowned. "I guess that's the maximum range, then." She raised a brows as all of her instruments began to shudder and shake. "Uhhh, that's...not good." _Something _huge, no _three _things, slammed against the outer hull and slowed them to a grinding halt. The rotors were still going strong, but Asami couldn't move. "We're stuck! In mid-air! _What the hell is going on?!_"

Korra pulled the side door open and gaped. "Vines! _Giant vines. _Mako, Bolin! Take the other door and start cutting! Kuvira, you're with me!"

Asami took a quick glance behind her, just for a moment, and saw Bolin readying his lavadisk while Korra and Kuvira sent fire and blades of metal outside respectively. "How are we doing back there? We're too close to the ground to use the parachutes! Just so you know!" The entire frame was rattling. She had no idea how long she could keep them in the air.

"Well, fire and metal aren't working so well! These vines are _really _thick!" yelled Korra.

Bolin whooped. "Lavadisk is workin' great or, okay, nope it just grows back in like half a second."

Asami growled and held on to the yoke for dear life. Literally. "Okay, if nobody has any ideas, I'm going to try and use the rotors to cut us loose! Strap in!"

Mako gave her a thumbs up. "We're good!"

Asami nodded and licked the inside of her lips. She banked left, dropped in altitude, and pitched backward, raising the nose. She heard the rotors slice clean through the vines and immediately pulled up on the collective lever, raising them up as far as she could. "All right! We're clear of the-" A massive vine smacked straight into the cockpit's viewport and Asami felt five more wrap around the Satohawk's frame.

Asami blanched as the red emergency lights turned off and the horn blared. Still too low to use the parachutes. The ejection seats were blocked by the vines. The controls were going to break her wrists if she held much longer. No choice. "We've got maybe thirty seconds! Opal, use your wingsuit! Kuvira, grab Mako and use your cables! Korra-"

Korra had somehow made it into the cockpit. "Kuvira grabbed Mako _and _Bolin! Come on, let's get out of here!"

Asami smiled grimly. "I can't. The second I let go-"

Korra met her terrified gaze. "_I'm faster._"

Asami nodded. Korra couldn't lie. She let go, sending them hurtling toward the floor of the swamp. Korra ripped her out of her seat and charged out of the side door with a burst of airbending. They fell almost straight down, and Asami was impressed with how she wasn't screaming. Externally, at least. Korra latched her cables into two nearby trees and slowed them further with a cushion of air.

They hit the ground and Asami tumbled forward out of her arms and face first into the mud. She groaned and flipped onto her back, slowing her breath. "Okay. You were faster. Thanks." Korra was looking down at her, somehow composed. "Korra, why does everything I fly crash?"

Korra shrugged and pulled her to her feet. "Could be bad luck, but I think this time it was just the swamp trying to communicate." She waterbended the mud off the both of them. "It's a _weird _way to communicate, but still." Korra paled. "...okay, maybe don't turn around, because the swamp apparently had two things it wanted to say."

Asami raised a brow and spun around. She was relieved to see that Mako, Bolin and Opal were all unharmed, but still covered in mud. Also Kuvira was okay, so that was...okay. And then she looked up.

There was her damaged Satohawk, rotors intact, suspended by a series of vines. The emergency lights were still blinking and it swung ever so slightly back and forth. Then, the co-pilot's ejection seat shot out of the cockpit and landed next to her feet, the parachute covering her like a tarp.

Asami's entire body twitched.

"_I HATE THE SWAMP!"_

* * *

><p><strong>This part of the story got WAY too long for just one chapter, so I had to split up into two parts. Sorry for the cliffhanger. Well, not really. I like it.<strong>

**For anyone curious as to what earthbenders are capable of, or need a refresher, go to the Avatar wiki and scroll through the documented abilities. Most of them were displayed in ATLA, and the only thing I'm making up here is the glass. Which is really just the sand rubbing against itself enough so that the friction generates enough heat to make glass. Avatar SCIENCE!**

**As always, feedback is appreciated and encouraged. No matter how small, scathing, or rambling your thoughts may be, I wanna hear 'em.**


	11. Oldest Growth, Part II

**Do not be alarmed! I changed the name of the story because it evolved well beyond "Noodles". That's still super thematically important, but at a glance, the title no longer made sense. It's the same tale, and the same plot, but the name is what I originally intended it to be.**

**Special thanks to Beech27, author of the fantastic NoirAU "Republic City Blues" over on Ao3 for helping me write part of this chapter. If you're not familiar with that story, you should fix that.**

**EDIT/Update: Beta'd by BSG-Legacy!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"I HATE THE SWAMP!"<p>

Asami viciously struggled with the parachute that had decided to use her as a coat rack, pulling at it in every direction. She couldn't find the seam, and it kept getting more tangled around her. She was about to start ripping a hole in it before Opal intervened. Thankfully, she'd been thoughtful enough to save Asami several long minutes of screaming by gently lifting it off of her with airbending.

"Thought you could use a little help," said Opal.

"Thank you, Opal," sighed Asami. She took a series of calming breaths. Possibly stranded with no radio. At least she wasn't alone. Not alone. "Is everyone okay? You all look okay-"

Korra rested a hand on her shoulder. "We're fine. I just checked everybody for injuries, and there's nothing I need to heal. Some scrapes and bruises, but nothing we can't handle."

Asami frowned and looked up at her Satohawk. The once magnificent triumph of aviation engineering was taken down by vines. On its first true test flight. Asami didn't appreciate the irony. "I should have predicted this. The vines were hostile in Republic City, for a time. It only makes sense that these would behave the same way."

Bolin bobbed his head from side to side. "Okay, well, that's true, but they're also giant vines, Asami. I mean, it's asking a little much for you to invent some sort of...anti spirit vine thing. Not the explosive kind, but the garden variety kind. This kind," he said, pointing at the vines that were everywhere. "'Cause you're already doing the other one."

Asami snorted. "Bolin, I appreciate the gesture, but now is really not the time." She put a hand on her hip and scratched her head. "All of our survival gear is up on the Satohawk, so we need to focus on getting that down first, before we even think about doing anything else."

Kuvira looked up at the tangle of vines. "Korra and I can lower it safely if we can free it from those vines. I must admit, I'm surprised it isn't platinum-lined."

"The final product will be," She smiled sadly. "A week later and we'd have been in real trouble."

"Aw, don't worry about that. We're all good." Bolin flung his arms about and summoned his lavadisk from a nearby pool of mud. "Okay ladies, get ready to catch that big hunk of metal!"

Korra and Kuvira walked to opposite sides of the Satohawk and dropped into a grounded horse stance. With a nod from Korra, Bolin swiped his lavadisk through the vines in one swift motion, slicing them clean. The Satohawk creaked as its weight snapped what was left of the vines holding on to it. The two metalbenders grasped on to the aircraft just as it began to fall, their boots lowering into the mud as they slowly lowered it with gritted teeth. It settled on to the ground peacefully, and both metalbenders gave a heavy sigh of relief.

"Wow," said Korra, sitting down. "And I thought an armored truck was heavy…"

Kuvira rested her hands on her knees and took several deep breaths. She wiped sweat away from her eyes. "That was the single most difficult thing I've ever had to metalbend, through sheer weight and bulk alone."

Korra shrugged. "So. Does anyone have any idea how we're supposed to research the swamp?"

Mako pinched his brow. "You're the Avatar."

"And since when has that meant that I have all the answers?"

"You should still have some idea, though. Why can't you just ask Raava?"

"Uhh, because she's just as lost as we are. Apparently Vaatu might know, but I'm not about to wait ten thousand years to ask him."

"Who's Vaatu?" asked Kuvira.

Korra groaned. "The opposite of Raava! The great spirit of chaos, imbalance and darkness! The giant red kite that fused with my uncle!"

"I only saw the mover reels after the fact. I had no idea what was happening. I still don't, if I'm being honest."

"You really don't need to," said Opal. "Vaatu lost. That's what's important. Also that I got airbending."

"Yup." Korra nodded. "What about the books? Please tell me you brought your books, Asami. Those would probably help."

"I did, don't worry." Asami quickly grabbed her pack from the cockpit, side stepping the series of crushed and mangled metal panels littered on the cabin floor. She pulled out the book and flipped through the pages. "There wasn't anything about the swamp's growth, though. Only it's spiritual presence, and a bunch of stuff that…"

They were gone. In the few seconds she'd taken her eyes off them, they'd had vanished without so much as a sound. Asami was all alone in the swamp. A swamp that caused 'helpful' hallucinations. Perception of her reality was no longer objective, and she was at the whim of the spirits.

Asami shivered and sat just inside the Satohawk's side door. She hugged herself, because it all felt so familiar. Everyone she loved had simply disappeared, and she was powerless to correct it.  
>It was her own personalized living nightmare.<p>

"I hate the swamp," she whispered.

* * *

><p>"Asami? Did you find the books?" asked Korra, sitting across from the Satohawk. "It's okay if you lost them, all right? It was just an accident."<p>

"Surely the library would understand," said Kuvira.

"You'd think so, but the giant owl spirit who runs it is a bit of a jerk. Very wise, but still a jerk."

"There's a library...maintained by a giant owl spirit?" she asked incredulously.

"It's also upside down and sort of...floating in the sky. Spirit sky. Or something. That place really doesn't make sense half the time."

"More like all of the time." Bolin sighed. "And people wonder why Team Avatar is so exclusive. We'd have to re-explain everything! All the time! To every new person! It'd just get exhausting and then the stories wouldn't be fun or cool anymore and...yeah, glad we're not holding try-outs."

Mako raised a brow. "Why would we even do that?"

"We wouldn't. I'm just saying I'm glad we're not."

"Okay, I get that, but if there's no reason to do it, why even bring it up?"

"Because I'm making conversation, okay? Filling the silence? Speaking my mind? Trying not to think about how scary it is that we're surrounded by spirit vines. That can kill us. By exploding."

Mako looked around and winced. "I think I'll let you do the panicking for the both of us on this one, Bo."

Bolin's postured deflated. "I'm not panicking. I'm concerned. Also, Asami! I know losing things is embarrassing, but come on! We're not going to laugh! You should really know that. Wait, she does know that. This is weird."

Opal poked her head into the Satohawk's cabin and paled. "Uhm, Korra? She's not here."

"What?!" Korra's eyes bugged out of her head and she sprinted over to Opal. "Asami?" She pulled her out of the way and ducked inside the aircraft. "Stop hiding, this isn't funny!" She checked under the seats, the cockpit, behind the craft itself. "Asami…?"

Nothing.

Gone.

"No. No! Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap, shit! No, no, damnit, no!" Korra hopped out of the Satohawk and began violently slicing her hands through her hair. "She's gone! Where the hell could she have-she was just here! People don't just vanish like that!" She paced in circles, her heart pounding in her chest while her head jumped to every possible worst case scenario. Dead, dead, dead, dead, and more varieties of dead. "No, she's...she's not dead. She's not dead. Not dead, not dead, not dead, not dead."

Asami couldn't be dead. No, nope that was entirely impossible. Nope.

Mako, Bolin and Kuvira all took a good look inside the Satohawk. Mako, to his credit, didn't panic. Bolin looked like he was going to melt down the entire swamp just to find her, which Korra appreciated, and Kuvira was simply...surprised.

Opal grabbed Korra by the shoulders and held her in place. "She's not dead. We'll find her, but first you have to calm down."

"How am I supposed to calm down?! I can't-"

"Calm. Down," she said firmly. "She's fine. We'll find her."

Korra took a few moments to slow her panicked breathing and pushed all of the frighteningly vivid mental images of the thousands of ways they were-no, weren't going to find Asami's body. "Okay. Okay, you're right. We'll find her. It's probably some crazy spirit thing. The swamp is known for doing things like that."

Bolin's eyebrows vanished into his hairline. "It is? What kind of spirit things?"

"Apparently kidnapping!"

"I'd say a spirit vine took her, but we'd have heard that," said Mako. "She's either still here and invisible, or...something spirit related. Can't you just track her spirit, Korra?"

Kuvira wrinkled her nose. "I had no idea you could do that."

"Well, I can. Good idea, Mako,' said Korra, smacking her palm against the oddly fresh bark of the nearest tree trunk. "Her...presence isn't going to be easy to find in an area with spiritual energy this strong, but it's not impossible."

Korra took a small breath and closed her eyes. She reached out to the spiritual energy within the vines and focused on her memory of Asami's minimal presence. Her energy surged through the swamp, branching out through the vines themselves and into the ground. It was all connected, and she saw it all at once. Her sight circled outward from the Banyan Grove tree, reaching every piece of the swamp until it ended up...right inside of the Satohawk.

Bolin stared at the yellow glow radiating from everything. "Is that...supposed to happen?"

Korra flexed her hand. "Sort of. Apparently, Asami is still right there. But also, she isn't. And...also she's everywhere, I guess."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It might not need to," said Mako. He crouched down and stared at the dirt. "There are some footprints leading away from here and further into the swamp. And they look fresh. If we follow them, we should find Asami."

"Okay, then that's what we're going to do," said Korra, inspecting the prints a little closer. "Are you sure these are hers?"

"I'm a cop. This is literally my job."

"All right." Korra took a deep breath and looked down the path, deeper into the swamp. "Let's get moving, then."

* * *

><p>Asami was conflicted.<p>

While it was definitely a good thing that most of damage to the Satohawk was relatively minor and superficial, it also meant that she'd have less things to distract her from the terrifying prospect that everyone was gone. Possibly forever, because who knew how spirit things worked.

Nobody.

No, no. Not forever. That would be insane. And she wasn't going crazy. There weren't any psychotropics in the swamp air. She would know that. The United Forces would know that. People would know that!

Asami bolted the last segment of the Satohawk's new canopy in place and felt none of her typical post-project-success giddiness. Not that she expected to, but it would have been a nice surprise. As opposed to all of those other terrible surprises that life kept throwing in her face.

Everyone was alive and okay and there was nothing to worry about. She wasn't in the spirit world. The swamp showed people things. That's what it did. So, it was showing her...the lack of things? Well, that was stupid.

"Asami? We're ready for your demonstration."

Asami turned around and she wasn't in the swamp. She was in the desert. Korra, along with a few dozen men and women she didn't know, were facing her, all dressed in what seemed like an odd perversion of the White Lotus uniform. "I'm sorry? What...demonstration?"

Korra smirked and held up her gloved palms. Gloves? What? "Right, right, sorry. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I still have that nasty habit of kicking down doors without knocking first. Not that you were complaining, but still."

Asami found that she was holding a...well, it looked like a detonator. "Uhm, right." And her jumpsuit wasn't black and red. It was black and blue. The Future Industries logo was gone. And she was showing a very surprising amount of cleavage, which she immediately corrected.

Korra laughed and flicked her wrist, undoing the snaps Asami had just fastened to cover herself. A chill ran up Asami's spine. "As much as I appreciate the teasing, this really isn't the time or place for it. Now, come on. The mover cameras are rolling, and I want the world to see what the wife of the Avatar is capable of."

Asami decided not to dwell on the fact that, apparently, she was now married to Korra, and pressed the detonator several dozen times. A flash of purple light exploded off in the distance and began swirling around itself, pulling soil, rocks, entire sand dunes and houses and people oh no there was a village there. All shoved into...nowhere. They vanished.

Wait, she knew that technology. They weren't dead. They were pulled into the spirit world. But why would she build that? The portals were open. There wasn't a point. And more importantly, of course:

What the hell was happening?!

There was applause, and Asami felt like screaming.

Korra whistled. "And, that's that! Prison overflow? Not an issue for Asami Sato! The spirit world is infinite, and utterly inescapable." She smiled at her.

"But couldn't somebody just leave using the portals?"

Korra moved very close to her, looking worried. "We closed them a few years ago, remember?" she whispered. She frowned and put her palm on Asami's forehead. "Are you all right? You look like you're running a fever."

"You closed them?!" she sputtered.

"No, you did. Well, I closed the original ones, but the one in Republic City, couldn't do that one-why are we talking about this? Asami, you just fixed basically everything! Be excited!"

Asami wrinkled her nose and looked at the crater where the town had been. "How could that have possibly fixed everything?"

"This was your idea in the first place. Just throw all our problems in the spirit world, and let them deal with it. I thought it was brilliant. Out of sight, out of mind. The less terrorists and rebels I have to deal with the more time I get to spend with you, after all. It's a win for everybody."

Asami's head was reeling and she was torn between smacking Korra upside the head or screaming. Thankfully she did neither. "...why would you close them? You brought back the spirits! The entire Air Nation!"

"What is wrong with you? We've talked about this. The ends justified the means, and damnit Asami, we wouldn't have to do these things if the Red Lotus wasn't on an active genocidal campaign against the Air Nation! You know this!" Korra pinched her brow. "Why are you making me remember this. You know this is painful for me. Everytime I think about it I just keep seeing Tenzin getting cut down, over and over and over again…"

Asami blanched and stepped away from Korra. Everything was wrong. Objectively, subjectively, metaphysically. Everything in every way. Blinding light exploded out in the distance, from every direction. Dozens of Spirit Portals grew out of the ground and shot into the sky, their beams of energy twisting and bending unnaturally.

She screamed and took off into a sprint, away from...anything. Everything. And she immediately ran straight into a tree. That hadn't been there two seconds ago. She fell backward into the mud and, lo and behold, she was in the swamp.

She checked her clothes. Practical and sensible, despite her shaking hands. Asami scampered over to the Satohawk, trying her best not to hyperventilate. Her best was not good enough. She got inside, closed all the doors, sat up against the back of the pilot's seat, and hugged her knees to her chest.

Tenzin could not be allowed to die in any way other than natural causes.

The swamp was evil.

Evil, evil, evil.

Evil.

* * *

><p>Bolin raised a brow at his brother. "Anything in your detective training teach you about this kind of thing?" he said, pointing to the multiple pairs of identical footprints circling a rock and heading off into three separate directions. "Because if it did, I will be seriously impressed. Pretty sure Asami isn't three people. And that these footprints aren't ours."<p>

Mako frowned. "I'm at a loss, okay? I have no idea how this is even possible."

Korra growled. "Look, we'll just split up and head in each direction. And we'll keep yelling ASAMI until she answers!"

"That would be unwise. One of us will most likely get lost," said Kuvira.

"I'm sorry, but I don't recall asking for your opinion, oh Great Uniter."

Opal wrinkled her nose and spun in a circle. "Anyone else feel that? And hear that?"

"I don't know, so probably not?" said Bolin.

Kuvira's eyes popped out of her head. "I think she may mean the tidal wave. That is somehow in a swamp."

"A tidal wave? Well, that's just ridiculous."

Korra grabbed Bolin's shoulders and turned him to face the...oh. The tidal wave. Well, that's going to make things difficult. "Yeah! It is! But it's also there! Everyone get behind-"

The water surged forward, faster than Bolin could believe, and washed over everyone. He was sent tumbling to the ground, and when he got up he was-wait why was he on the outer wall of Ba Sing Se and everything was-

"COVERED IN LAVA!" he yelped, grasping at his own head and pushing his eyes out of their sockets.

All of Ba Sing Se was submerged in lava. The inner walls were down, and every building, every street, every tower, every satomobile, every piece of Kuvira propaganda, every cabbage car, every man, woman and child were drifting. Burning. Melting.

Steaming. Writhing. Bubbling.

He could feel the earth itself boiling.

Bolin backed away but couldn't escape the heat. He turned around and found Omashu in exactly the same state. Lava flowed from the highest point and poured down the mail chutes, the streets themselves, burning it all away. The city built by the first earthbenders, gone.

And it was all his fault.

Everytime he turned away, it was the same. Gaoling. Yi. Zaofu. Republic City. All because he couldn't see clearly. Couldn't see how far Kuvira had fallen, that what he'd been ordered to do had lead to more death and destruction than he could have possibly imagined. And he thought he was helping, like an idiot.

That's what he is. An idiot. An idealistic idiot. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…

Why did Ghazan have to make it look so simple!? Why did he have to understand it?! Why didn't he just keep it a secret and not use it as that great thing he can do to prove to Kuvira that he could help!? It was just like Mako and lightning. It only lead to death and pain and destruction and suffering.

Bolin could only destroy. Only living lavabender. He should never have taken pride in that.

"BOLIN! YOU HAVE TO STOP!"

Bolin shuddered and he was back in the swamp and everything was lava why was everything lava?! Korra and Opal were doing their best to cool it down with airbending, but it just kept coming and coming and oh crap he was doing it unconsciously. He could do that?! It didn't matter. Bolin focused and stopped the flow of energy within the earth, halting the molten shift and cooling the lava around them in into harmless black rock.

Everyone almost died. Because of him.

He collapsed on the ground. "Everything was lava."

Korra stared down at him, searching. "...what happened, Bolin? What did you see?"

"Everything. Omashu, Ba Sing Se, Zaofu...everywhere. Lava."

Opal knelt down beside him and cupped his cheeks. "Bolin, here, look at me. None of that happened," she said softly. "It's all right. Nothing is lava."

"I know that! But it could have been! Do you have any idea how close I was to actually teaching lavabending to Kuvira's military?! It wasn't for lack of trying! I just couldn't figure out how to explain it!" He searched around them in a panic. "Where's Mako?! Where's...don't tell me-"

Korra shook her head. "No, he's fine. Or, well, he should be. He and Kuvira ran back to the Satohawk once you started turning everything into lava. There wasn't much they could do."

"At least he's okay. Sorry."

"Just be more careful, okay? The swamp can do crazy things to your head."

Opal glared at her. "It can? And when did you plan on filling us in on that very important piece of information?"

"It wasn't supposed to do anything to you guys! I thought it was just going to affect Kuvira, since the swamp apparently only helps people who deserve it."

Bolin frowned. "So, it just hates me, then? Because none of what I saw looked like help to me! It was basically my worst nightmare!"

Korra scratched the back of her head. "Uhhh, the swamp works in mysterious ways?"

"Korra. This isn't the time for jokes. Let's just find Asami and get out of here." He blinked and grabbed his hair. "This swamp is messing with my head. Did you hear what I just said? I sounded like Mako!"

"Is that...bad?"

"Well, no, but I didn't sound like me, so that's not great."

"Okay, let me just make sure I have this right," said Opal, rising to her feet and glaring even harder at Korra. "We're going to be subjected to forced hallucinations because of the swamp."

"Yes."

"And you thought it was going to pick and choose."

"...yes."

"And these visions are so vivid that they can actually cause involuntary bending."

"They, uh, yes. They can do that, I guess. Didn't know they could. It's just trying to help, though!"

"This isn't helping! This is the opposite of helping!" yelled Bolin. "There are three of us and three directions! Let's just split up and get this over with!"

"But what if one of us-"

"Then I'll melt the swamp, okay? It's all I'm good for, right? Lava lava lava lava!" he said, stomping off.

"Bolin, the footprints are gone. You destroyed them when you were lavabending." sighed Opal.

"Great! Now what do we do-Korra, where are you going, aaaand she's gone." Bolin sighed.

Opal smacked her forehead.

Mako wasn't really surprised that he'd gotten stuck with Kuvira. He'd expected it to happen eventually, because everybody else would just have other things to do. That was just how things worked as of late.

They walked in silence through the swamp, retracing their steps back to the landing zone. Well, technically it was a crash site, but arguing semantics during moments of high tension was never a wise decision.

It occurred to him, however, that he was alone with the woman who had tried to murder his little brother. And he hadn't been there to protect him, or help at all. It wouldn't be so difficult to make it look like an accident, if he...were to abandon all of his morals.

Would that even be abandoning them, though? Kuvira had tried to murder everyone he knew and loved. She was a danger to herself, and everyone around her. Even if the United Republic had privately pardoned her, which he was not okay with, as an officer of the law it was his duty to ensure the safety of the citizens of that very same country.

She had also to throw Bolin into a prison camp. Just the thought of it made his blood begin to boil, and every second longer he stared at the back of her head, it became more difficult for him to cool off.

Cool under fire. Cool under fire. Cool under fire.

Besides Raiko, would anyone actually care? If he just killed her, right then. Just hit her with a bolt of lightning. Baatar Jr, maybe. And that was a big maybe. Korra might get pissed at him for a while, but he can't imagine it would affect their friendship that much. Bolin wouldn't say a word. Opal would be fine with it. Asami would...if anything, that would only strengthen their relationship. Mako remembered what it felt like to see a parent cut down in front of you. It was impossible not to empathize. It wasn't even out of the question that Tenzin would look the other way, since Kuvira had threatened the very existence of the Air Nation.

It would be so easy to just take her down. End her story, close the book, so everyone could move on and be done with her once and for all. It would only take a second. Even less than that, if he hit her in the chest.

If he had a coin, he might've just flipped for it.

"Mako!"

"Bolin?" Mako blinked and saw a massive bolt of lightning surging straight toward him. Not enough time to move. Couldn't redirect it. He was thrown backward and skidded to a stop on the concrete, right below Bolin. He looked up to see a solid rock wall where he'd been moments ago.

Bolin helped him up to his feet. "Well, that was weird. Where do you think that came from?"

Mako narrowed his eyes at Bolin. "I don't know. Weren't we just in the swamp?" He turned back around toward the rock wall which was actually Kuvira. Staring at him with a very confused look.

"What is it?" she asked.

Now or never. Make a choice.

"Nothing. It was nothing. We're almost there, so let's just keep moving."

"Agreed."

* * *

><p>Korra sprinted through the brush as fast as she could. Asami was running from her, which was weird, but the swamp did crazy things to people. Calling out to her had done nothing. She didn't even look over her shoulder.<p>

Something had her terrified.

Korra charged through a curtain of ivy and small, loose vines and emerged in a pond surrounding a large, tall tree. Her boots splashed against the muddy water and Korra had the distinct feeling she'd been in that exact same spot before. Especially when she finally got a good look at Asami.

Asami stood before her, just in front of the tree, with a vaguely threatening expression. Her hair was wild, her makeup was smeared and most unsettling of all...her eyes were glowing a very dark red. Red light radiated out of from her, making her appear more spirit than human.

Korra frowned and cracked her neck. "I could have sworn I was done with you, but if you want a rematch, I guess it's unavoidable. Dressing yourself up as Asami isn't going to work, you know. The eyes and the light show make it pretty clear that you're not her." She paled. "Unless she was possessed by a spirit! Oh, crap that would explain this whole day-"

Asami's brow twitched, unamused, and kicked off of the ground, leaping toward her at incredible speed. Korra rolled out of the way and reached out to the pond water, sending it streaming into Asami and freezing her from the neck down.

"So, what are you? A spirit? Am I hallucinating? Because the last time this happened, I was definitely not entirely hallucinating-"

Asami interrupted her again by...breathing fire onto her ice prison and freeing herself. Definitely not Asami. Not the real one. Because that was impossible. Right? It had to be an illusion. Just like the several hundred icicles that Korra was only dodging by a hair.

Korra erected a stone barrier to block the rest only for Asami to punch straight through it and yank her through the rest of the earth. She quickly grabbed Asami's arm and threw her straight into the tree. Asami rebounded in midair with a burst of airbending and kicked arcs of fire and air straight at her, followed by two powerful streams of sand.

Wait, sand? Where did she find sand? They were in a swamp.

Korra bobbed, weaved and deflected the sand with her own wind. Okay, maybe it was difficult to actually attack Asami, even if it was clearly a fake. Asami couldn't bend! Much less all four elements. Korra, remembering her cables, launched both lines at her, only for them to be redirected back on to her, binding her arms behind her back.

Asami wrung out her hands and mimed pulling a longsword out of its sheath, only there was actually a sword molding itself from the metal she'd somehow found. The blade reflected off of the pond. It looked absurdly sharp. Korra spun, pushing herself out of harms way with a gust of wind, and flexed her feet on the ground, desperate for some form of metalbending.

Korra managed to reform her cables into gauntlets just in time to catch Asami's blade between them. Her boots sunk into the ground and the trees around them shuddered from the force of the impact. Korra grit her teeth and held them there for a few seconds, searching Asami for some sign of...anything. Anything that was behind her red eyes.

Nothing. Just red.

Which probably meant that the fake wasn't nearly as competent at hand-to-hand as the real one.

Korra twisted her arms and snapped the blade in half. The tiny hint of shock on the doppelganger's face was nothing like Asami, which made it all the better. She swept Asami's legs out from under her, slammed her into the ground and used her cables to bind her limbs behind her back.

"You're a pushover compared to the real Asami," she scoffed, pressing her knee down onto the center of her back. "She'd have figured something out that I couldn't counter. Y'know. If she was evil, which she isn't."

Then, the cables were gone and Korra found herself thrown across the Sato estate's gym, landing less than softly on the mat. Her clothes felt weird, and...everything smelled like fruit. Sweet, tender. Fruit. Why did she smell fruit in a gym?

"You really need to work on your hand-to-hand, Blue," said Asami, her lips curving into the smallest of smirks. "After all, I can't be expected to give you lessons in everything hands can do."

Asami crouched into a ready fighting stance, but her right hand was gesturing somehow, miming an action that Korra didn't recognize. It certainly didn't have any obvious combat applications, so far as she could tell.

Korra shook it off, climbed back to her feet, and adopted a stance of her own. Pet names, again? Well, okay then. "Blue? Oh, my eyes. And clothes, I guess. That's a new one. I know you're not fond of 'hot water', but c'mon. You can do better than that, _Noodles._"

Asami fell out of her stance, standing upright. She dropped the smirk, and replaced it with a quizzical stare, one eyebrow raised. "A new one?" Then, Asami's eyes narrowed, examining Korra's stance. She laughed, sudden awareness washing the previous question away. She regained her own stance, looking even more ready than before. "Oh, I get it now. Almost Blue, let's call you. And if you call me Noodles even one more time, you're getting a bullet between the eyes."

Korra returned the quizzical stare. "I don't know what that is, and I'm pretty sure I was just in the swamp which means you're not actually real. Probably. That's never been entirely clear…"

Asami gave her a dead stare. "You're missing the point. You're not you. You're not Blue."

Korra wrinkled her nose. "Am I supposed to be? I'm very confused right now. Who's Blue?"

Asami just shrugged. The look in her eyes was different. There was a deep pool of violence, just below the green. Her anger, the rage that had been boiling inside her a week ago, was back. Definitely not Asami. Well, not the one she knew. "She's a girl who wouldn't stand like that, for one. It's not a stance she knows. Not a stance I know, even, and that's saying something, because I know every style worth knowing. Now, do you know why that is?"

"Uhm." Korra glanced at herself. And her stance. She used it all the time. Asami had seen it plenty, because she'd taught it to her. It just kept getting weirder. "I'm guessing it's because you're Asami, or at least you look like her. She's the most amazing and brilliant person I know. And she's trained in self-defense classes since she was six, but there's no way that those were just self-defense classes because I've seen self-defense. What she does is on a whole different level."

"Why thanks, Almost Blue. I am amazing, and I am brilliant, and I am on an entirely different level, you're right about that. I'd blush, but I know someone who might get awfully jealous, you being another Water Tribe girl and all. Unfortunately, you're wrong about knowing me. I'm not your prissy little Asami. I'm Asami Fucking Sato. And I have to warn you, new style or not, you're going to lose. Because here, I always win."

Korra scoffed. "Seriously? You always win? It's a sparring match. Get over yourself, Asami Fucking Sato." She narrowed her eyes. "Wait, how do you even know this isn't real-"

Asami charged forward, again, and Korra pivoted away, again and pulled her arm behind her back. And then she was immediately punched in the throat and swept off her feet. Korra choked and fell on all fours, realizing far too late that Asami wasn't playing. Asami kicked her upside the head and pinned her to the ground, threatening to dislocated her shoulder.

"Hm. It looks like Almost Blue wasn't nearly close enough."

"That was not sparring!" Korra coughed. "What the hell was that?! You could have crushed my windpipe!"

"You should be thanking me that I didn't. You're not Blue, but you're going to give her back to me." She twisted her arm further. "Now."

And then Asami turned out to be a pile of rocks. Korra frowned and tossed them off of her. She kicked one of them into the pond and made a very unsatisfying splash. She was getting the feeling that the new swamp didn't work the same way as the old one.

* * *

><p>Kuvira was in her Colossus again, standing strong on the center platform.<p>

"We found the bodies, ma'am. Everyone in the warehouse, including Avatar Korra, are confirmed dead."

Kuvira stumbled over a rock and steadied herself against a nearby tree. She stared down into the mud, eyes wide open and slowed her breath. What was...that wasn't how it happened. No, she'd...some factory workers died, but her gambit was ultimately a failure.

Kuvira shook her head and continued forward, only to find her boot step onto the neck of a very murderous Lin Beifong, her body sprawled across the concrete. She was covered in dried blood and had more than a few new scars.

Lin spat up in her face. "You think you've won? No chance in hell. Somebody's gonna take you down, no matter wha-"

Kuvira instinctively twisted her foot and snapped her neck. She gasped and backpedaled through the mud, straight into Mako. She forced her hands to stop shaking and hid her terrified, pale expression from him. "I apologize, I thought I saw...something. It wasn't there."

"Don't worry about it."

Kuvira nodded and wiped the sweat off her brow. Was she...nothing she'd eaten contained any psychotropics, and she was still in the swamp. Were the vines the cause? Punishing her for abusing the spirits? Forcing her to live through...whatever that was?

She was piloting the Colossus again, walking past the Great Gates of Azulon. The Fire Nation had acted quickly, to their credit. Out of all of the defensive systems they could have built to stand against her Colossus, she'd never expected for them to build one of their own. The logo stamped on the breastplate was even more surprising.

Future Industries. And here she'd thought she'd wiped the Sato line out years before. Hiroshi had built his own, and as it ran at her, she realized that Baatar had never designed her suit to withstand attacks from other giant mecha.

The blows they traded were devastating, and flattened much of Harbor City. Hiroshi's mecha didn't have spirit weaponry, but it had plenty of other weapons. Rockets, a giant plasma saw, and even a huge grappling hook.

The plasma saw had been the worst of it, as he'd managed to sever her left arm clean off. He'd been aiming for the right, the one with the cannon, but she'd anticipated that. She got a clean, direct hit into the other mecha's chest with her good arm and sent it flying into the capitol.

Kuvira closed her fist and fired, absolutely obliterating the Fire Nation's last bastion, and hope, in one move.

Then, she walked straight into a tree, getting swamp muck on her face, and forced herself to stop hyperventilating. The Fire Nation. Why the Fire Nation? What was the point?! She'd never planned to expand her empire beyond the land that was rightfully hers to begin with! It was needless bloodshed! Megalomania!

Kuvira leaned against the tree and signaled for Mako to wait a moment. "I think I may be coming down with something. I need to catch my breath."

"I'll say. You've been muttering nonsense for the past five minutes."

"Was I? What was I saying?"

Kuvira was pulled out of her bed by a pair of massive arms that quickly attempted to snap her neck. She retaliated, reaching out for her armor's metal strips and stabbing the assassin's arms. He roared in pain and released her for a moment, and that was all she needed. She jumped backward, donned her armor properly and met the man's eyes.

Blue. Enraged beyond comprehension.

"Tonraq?" she whispered.

Tonraq scowled and pulled the metal blades out of his arms. He didn't seem to hear her, or he didn't care, as he summoned all of the water from his four skins and unleashed a nightmarish barrage of attacks. Water whips, icicles, blades, boiling water, everything and anything. She could barely keep up, and all she could do was block or dodge.

Tonraq knocked her off of her feet and lunged forward, encasing his fist in a frozen blade the size of her head. She tried to deflect him with a boulder but he'd been ready for that, blasting it out of the way with a wall of water he'd already bent before moving. She screamed as she was struck right in the chest, and in one last act of defiance bent her armor into a blade and impaled Tonraq. He slumped over, the metal puncturing his heart, and Kuvira was positive she was going to die-

"No, not Tonraq. Something about a giant mecha fight. It sounded like mover stuff to me," said Mako, snapping her back from...what might've been. "You really don't look so good."

"I…" Kuvira looked down at her trembling hands, and saw Baatar fiddling with something metal just below her breast, but...she couldn't feel it. Why couldn't she feel it?

"All right, that should do it for your tune up. I tried to make it as seamless as possible, but for the moment this is as good as it's going to get, Kuvira." He turned her toward the mirror. "It's not perfect, but I still think you're just as beautiful as ever."

Kuvira wanted to vomit. Half of her upper body was replaced by some horrific metal contraption, glowing and pulsing purple in perfect rhythm with her heartbeat. Which she couldn't feel.

She doubled over and pressed her palms into her chest, confirming that her body was still in fact flesh and blood. Feeling and hearing her own heart pound in her breast was good. She was okay. She wasn't...she wasn't inhuman. She wasn't a monster. Not a literal one, nor a metaphorical one.

She wasn't a monster.

"Mako? Kuvira? Where have you two been?!" asked Asami, standing just outside of the Satohawk. When did they get there?

"Us? We were looking for you! You wandered off into the swamp without any warning!"

"No, I didn't. I turned my back for half a second and every single one of you vanished! What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know. She's been acting weird."

Kuvira shivered uncontrollably and carefully sat down next to the Satohawk. She rested her head against the hull, hugged herself and stared off into space.

She wasn't a monster.

* * *

><p>Asami raised a brow at the pale and shaking Kuvira. Sweating profusely. Maybe she'd get a fever and just...die. "Acting weird? Weirder than this?"<p>

Mako nodded. "Yeah. Really weird. She's been talking to herself and acting a little unhinged the entire walk back. Nothing violent, but, honestly Asami, it's starting to freak me out."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Where's everyone else?"

"Still out looking for you."

Asami tapped her chin. "How big of a fireball can you make?"

"How big of one do you need?"

"Think you can make a signal flare?"

"Oh, easily." He looked up at the small gap in the swamp's canopy that the Satohawk had made and shot an incredibly bright stream of fire into the air. Once it had passed through the trees, it exploded and lit up the sky.

Asami smiled. "Okay, that was pretty cool."

"Thanks. Hopefully they see it, but I can always make a new one."

"Yeah." Asami crossed her arms and stared down the path that the pair had come from. How were they supposed to find their way back-oh, Bolin and Opal. The couple came sprinting into the clearing and stopped in front of her.

"What's wrong? Why is there fire? Asami we've been looking everywhere for you! I almost melted the swamp what is happening right now, and what's wrong with Kuvira?" sputtered Bolin.

Opal studied Kuvira closely. "I don't think we want to know."

"What? Oh. Woah. I don't even want to think about what the swamp showed her."

Mako grimaced. "What do you mean 'showed' her? Was the swamp doing that?"

"The hallucinations? Yeah. That's what Korra said."

"Did you know about this?"

"Not before...I had mine. Which we're not talking about ever. Or, right now, at least."

Asami sighed. "We assumed that Kuvira would be the only one affected, if anyone would be at all. It's supposed to be a helpful spiritual nudge, or something."

Bolin frowned. "Yeah. It wasn't. At all."

"Mine was, actually. I know understand the importance of my oath of non-aggression," said Opal, staring off into space. "It's very, very, very important."

"You'd end up like Zaheer if you didn't follow it, is that what you're getting at?" asked Asami.

"...yes. Basically. It was scary, okay?"

"ASAMI!"

"Wha-" Asami turned and was instantly tackled to the ground by Korra. "I'm happy to see you, too, but I'm really sick of getting mud everywhere."

Korra chuckled awkwardly, picked her up to her feet, dusted her off, and bent her clean. "Sorry. I was just really worried we'd lost you in the swamp!" She wrapped her in a tight hug. "What's up with her?"

Mako sighed. "She started muttering nonsense on our walk back. If the swamp is the one causing these visions then…"

"Yeah. She doesn't even look responsive." Korra winced. "Well, uh, now we know that she's...actually trying to redeem herself."

Opal shrugged. "I mean, yes that's clearly true, but I would have been okay without what looks like psychological torture to confirm it."

Bolin raised his hand. "I second that motion."

Asami crooked her lips to the side. "Nobody's going to disagree with you."

An old woman cackled. "Shows what you know! Frankly, I think it was the perfect thing for her. Really drives the lesson into her big metal moron brain," said a very grumpy old woman emerging from the brush. "I'd rather she be dead, but what do I know? I'm just some old lady who ended a war."

Opal gasped and giggled. "Grandma Toph!" She sprinted up to the old woman and wrapped her in a big hug.

"Hey Toph," said Bolin and Korra.

"Lavaguy. Korra."

"It's Bolin, actually." corrected Bolin.

"I know. I'm old, not senile."

Opal laughed. "Where have you been? I was worried I wouldn't see you again!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry for making you worry. I really should visit more often, or the next time I see you I might be a great-grandmother. Or, greater, I guess," she laughed. "Go on, introduce me to your friends. Maybe they'll be a little less terrible than the first two. And the moron over there."

Korra rolled her eyes.

"Please don't insult Bolin, Grandma."

"Fine. But only if I can still make fun of Korra."

"Deal."

Korra gasped, exasperated. "Seriously?! I'm right here!"

Asami shook her head. "Let it go. She won't budge."

"See, that girl gets it! Earthbenders don't budge! Who're you, anyway?" said Toph.

"Right! Sorry. Grandma, these are my friends Mako and Asami Sato."

Asami smiled. "It's quite an honor to meet you-"

"Honor?" Toph scoffed. "If you bow I'm going to dunk your head in mud. Cut it out."

"Oh. Okay. It's great to-"

"Wait, wait, wait, Sato?"

"That is my family name, yes."

"You got a grandfather named Satoru?"

Asami's eyes widened. "Uh, yeah. Wow, I'm surprised you remember that. Iroh said you met him a very long time ago."

"I don't forget good friends. What about the tall guy? Who're you?"

Korra laughed. "...tall guy."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Mako. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, sure. What are you kids doing in the swamp, anyway? If it was just to torture Kuvira, then Korra you're clearly not as terrible as I thought you were. Feels like she's running a fever. Otherwise, you still stink."

Korra frowned. "Wow. Torture is now a deciding factor in a person's opinion of me. That's a new one."

Asami sighed. "We're here to figure out why, and, how the swamp grew back."

Toph snorted into a loud laugh. "Seriously?! That's all? What, did you honestly think that the metal idiot over there was the first one to cut down the swamp? Hundreds of people have done what she did! And it always grows back."

"How do you even know this?"

"I take two minutes out of my day to read up on my history once in a while, that's how. Lots of important stuff in there. You kids could learn a thing or two."

Asami crossed her arms. There were no historical records of that happening. "No, you don't. You can't read."

Korra chuckled. "She's got you there."

Toph scoffed. "Whatever. I know everything because the vines know everything."

Bolin, Mako, Opal and Korra looked between one another. "...honestly, that makes a certain kind of sense," said Korra. "You've been in this swamp for more than ten years. Totally isolated, but you still knew about things happening in the world."

"No. That doesn't make sense." Asami pinched her brow. "That is by far the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Really? What if I told you that the reason the swamp grows back is because nobody ever bothered to cut down the Tree of Time?"

Asami's eyes widened. "...how do you know about that?"

Toph stomped her feet. "Where do you think these vines came from? They've been here long before Unalaq started tossing them all over the place. The portals might be where you can enter the spirit world, but both worlds are bound together by these big important trees. Because they're the same tree. Sort of."

Korra hummed. "Makes sense to me."

Opal nodded. "About as much as the other spirit stuff, yeah."

"I'm okay with this," said Bolin.

Mako shrugged. "It's not...impossible."

Asami grit her teeth. "If that's true, then we can't stop the vines from growing back. This whole trip was pointless!"

"Kuvira's having a mental breakdown and all of you kids had visions. I wouldn't call that pointless. They're important because they...well, because they are! Something about what you need to see, or haven't seen, or have yet to see. Spirit crap like that."

Korra and Asami exchanged a look.

"Anyway! Now you know why and how the swamp grows back. Mission accomplished. Now go away and take that metal idiot with you. Her constant shivering is giving me a headache."

* * *

><p>Asami methodically went through her pre-flight checks. She'd repaired everything to working order, but the swamp was a crazy place. It wouldn't hurt to be extra sure that they wouldn't just fall out of the sky on their trip home. "Everyone strapped in?"<p>

"Almost." Korra locked Kuvira into her seat, and the former tyrant wasn't looking any better than she had a few minutes ago. Shivering, sweating, and pale. Her eyes were glazed over, but she was lucid enough to pull Korra into a very tight hug before she walked away.

Korra looked between everyone. "I don't know how to react to this."

Kuvira let her go, bit her lip and bowed her head. She rested her arms on her thighs and shook her head. "I..." She balled her hands into fists. "I want to leave the swamp."

Korra nodded and sat down in her labeled seat, strapping herself in. "Okay, we're good."

Asami gave the passenger cabin a thumbs up. She lifted the Satohawk off the ground and swung their heading to the northwest. She tilted forward and, in only a few seconds, they cleared the swamp's airspace. Completely unaccosted. A wave of relief washed over her as they streaked through the air toward Republic City. The nightmare, their own personal nightmares, was over.

Hopefully.

No one spoke for a long time. Whether it was from the stress of the trip or simply the effect of their respective visions, she couldn't say. Out of all of them, Asami didn't expect Kuvira to be the one to break the silence.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, staring at her boots. "I know those words are meaningless coming from me, and I don't ever expect forgiveness, nor do I truly desire or think I'll ever deserve it. I just wanted to say it, because the alternative..." She trailed off and her entire body shook. "I cannot express to you how grateful I am for stopping me before it was too late. All of you. The path I had chosen lead only to madness and monstrosity."

Opal sighed. "I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that, while we don't forgive you, we don't think you're lying either."

Kuvira slowly sat up straight. "I don't understand."

"I don't know what you saw, but you're not going crazy. The swamp was doing that; To help you move forward. Apparently."

Kuvira narrowed her eyes at Opal. "You knew about this? That I would be psychologically tortured if I were to enter the swamp? This didn't happen the last time I was here."

Korra shrugged. "Why should it have? You weren't open to anything at the time. Now, you are. And I'd be thankful, if I were you. I helped negotiate your punishment from execution all the way down to forced government work with a little bit of psychological torture. The fact that you saw anything at all proves that you're not lying. You really are trying to do better, and fix the mess you've made."

Asami frowned. "In other words: I still hate you, but I don't think you're evil."

"Yes, exactly what she said. Yes." Bolin crossed his arms. "And apparently everyone had one of those crazy visions except for Mako. Lucky you."

Mako raised a brow. "I had one. You saved my life."

"How is that a vision? I've done that like a dozen times!"

Mako shrugged.

Asami rolled her eyes and turned her full attention back to flying. The trip was still, mostly, a waste. For her, at least. She wasn't any closer to figuring out how to perfect her spirit vine defense system, and she basically just helped torture a war criminal. The vision with the portals that closed themselves. And the ones that didn't.

That was it. That was the key. If they could make a temporary, self-collapsing portal, she could solve the energy transfer problem entirely. And Vaatu had created the first portals, according to her books. And the vines were the same as his energy, if Korra's gut was anything to go by.

Which it was.

Asami smiled.

Perhaps the trip wasn't a waste after all.

* * *

><p><strong>This was, by a large margin, the single hardest chapter to write in terms of actual content. Discerning which character should have which kind of vision, and what those visions should be, wasn't easy. I knew I wanted Asami and Korra to have ones that 'they have yet to see', sort of like how Aang saw Toph in the original series, but the specifics were hard to get 'right'.<strong>

**Y'know, cause there's lots of foreshadowing all over the place.**

**Did those 'work', by the way? The visions? You can never be sure with stuff like that, especially since I tried to blend them with the scene itself instead of cutting away. I skipped over Opal's because it was basically just what Zaheer did. Assassinating people/being the sith instead of wandering jedi knights. Didn't need to rehash it.**

**Those F-Bombs don't count because they took place in an alternate reality. An amazing alternate reality, but still. Specifically "Republic City Blues", exclusive to Ao3! Go read it!**

**Toph knowing 'everything' is sort of actually implied in canon. How the hell could she have possibly known Katara didn't fight in the Water Tribe Civil War?**

**Lastly, as you may have noticed, there were little-to-no italics in this chapter to denote emphasis in dialogue. I wanted to see if I was relying on it too much, and if what I was writing worked fine without it and if it was, y'know, totally unnecessary. I'd love to hear some thoughts on that!**

**Besides those specific things, as always, any and all feedback is greatly encouraged and appreciated! No matter how small, scathing, rambling or random your thoughts may be, I want to hear 'em! :D**


	12. The Only Winning Move

**Beta'd by BSG-Legacy**

**Sorry for the delay. Had to rewrite this a bunch of times, and it wasn't the easiest of weeks.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Spin the Rails<strong>

**Part 3 - This M.A.D. World of Ours**

**Section 8:**

**"The Only Winning Move..."**

"This really isn't my kind of party!" Asami gripped her dress and scowled at Kuvira. "Thanks for that!"

Kuvira frowned. "I'm just as angry as you are!"

"How?! You don't live here!"

"Human lives are worth more than-"

Korra smacked Kuvira on the back of the head. "Shut up."

Artana tossed Asami a metalbent sword. "That's about as sharp as it can get. Are you ready?"

Asami carefully sliced off the bottom half of her floor length dress and balled up the cloth. She handed off the red lump to Opal. She inspected the blade for a moment. It had been a few years since she'd held one, and the one she was wielding was lighter than what she was used to, but she felt her muscle memory flowing into place. "Yeah."

Swords weren't her weapon of choice. They were far too easy to kill with. Kyoshi Warrior fans, though? She _adored _those. They weren't anywhere near as practical as her shock-glove. Asami made a mental note to get back to practicing those once everything was said and done.

Korra nodded. "Okay! On my count." She held up three fingers. "Three."

Asami took a small breath.

"Two."

She brought up the schematics in her mind's eye.

"One."

She bit her lip.

"NOW!"

Korra and Opal rolled out from behind the couch and sent two powerful gusts of wind straight at the VarriMech. One to the chest, and the second to the helmet, covering it with remains of Asami's dress. It stumbled straight into the path of Bolin, Artana and Kuvira's barrage of marble. The mecha suit whirled around and shot a stream of fire out of its arm, which Mako charged and dissipated effortlessly.

That was her opening.

Asami vaulted over her loveseat, sliced open the access panel and smacked the emergency shutdown button. Well, all of the buttons. She couldn't tell which was which at the moment. The mecha suit whirred to a stop and slouched. She sprinted around to the front, pried open the helmet, and helped Mako toss the pilot out her seat.

Kuvira pinned the pilot to the wall with a pair of metalbent cuffs. "Stand down."

"Great Uniter! Why have you betrayed us!? We gave our-"

Kuvira slapped a metal strip on the woman's mouth and grimaced. "They're not going to stand down."

"I figured as much." Asami sighed. "Okay, we'll try one more time, once we get them all into one place. If that doesn't work, then we've only got one option."

Korra raised a brow. "Which is?"

"Freeze them."

* * *

><p><em>Earlier that day...<em>

It was time.

Asami closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. Months of work, research and fear. Translating long dead dialects from books older than time itself. Anger and bile clouding her judgement. Exhausting trial and error. Demoralizing setbacks and destruction. Weeks with little to no sleep.

An impossible task, but of course no such thing existed. Nothing was impossible. Not for her, not for anyone.

Asami's hand rested on the miniaturized spirit cannon's controls. Building the weapon had been frighteningly easy, but then that might have just been her team's abundance of experience in the subject. The implosion device, ironically named the 'Unity Defense System', had been the true triumph of brilliance, perseverance and innovation.

In theory.

Well, no, that wasn't strictly true. It had been tested several hundred times, but the leaders of the world needed a live fire demonstration to ensure that what they'd be purchasing wasn't simply a fluke. It was standard protocol, of course, but that didn't stop Asami from feeling extremely nervous about accidentally assassinating Korra's father, her cousins, Fire Lord Izumi, 'Not Really A King, I Promise' Wu, and President Raiko at the same time.

The mountain ranges just north of Republic City proved to be the perfect testing ground. Far away from the public eye, so as not to incite a panic, and if anything went wrong...well, the city would be safe. Still, she found herself feeling a distinct sense of dread due to the fact that their final demonstration zone had been the very same abandoned airfield her father had once tried to kill her in.

Dread in the sense that 'bad things happened here', as opposed to the...alternative. In her head, when planning the day, it had made so much sense to forcibly reassociate the airfield in her mind with victory and happiness, rather than grief and betrayal. She was no longer sure it was the best idea.

Asami shook her head free of those stray, foreboding thoughts and quintuple checked the cannon's status dials. Everything, again, was in working order. Maybe she just couldn't press the button. Artana had assembled it, since Varrick and Zhu Li had refused to go near the idea. She couldn't force herself to do it either.

Her hands were clean, and they'd stay that way for as long as possible.

The original demonstration plan had been to detonate one bomb to show the destruction it could cause, and then show the effects of her implosion device with a second bomb. However, that plan had to be scrapped since a bomb wasn't the iconic spirit weapon seared into the pages of history. A cannon had to be built, because that was the most 'obvious and direct' threat to the nations of the world, as they'd seen it before.

She looked up to at the government airship and bit her lip. She'd done it a hundred times during testing, half the time with bombs, but that was then. It wasn't real, back then. Failure wouldn't obliterate the leaders of the world in the blink of an eye.

"Artana, may I use your radio?" asked Asami.

"Of course." Artana nodded, unclipped it from her belt and tossed it to her. "Is something the matter?"

"No, just covering my bases," she said with a nervous smile. She tweaked the frequency to the one she knew Korra would have on her. Asami had planned ahead for quite nearly everything, after all. "You're sure you can't convince them to pull the airship out of the potential blast radius? There's always the chance it could explode."

"_My dad has more confidence in you than he knows what to do with, which means he's not going to budge. Even for me."_

Bolin clapped her on the back. "I'm not leaving either, if that makes you feel better. And I'm literally right next to the thing."

"Thanks." Asami frowned. "Korra, I have most of your family's life in my hands, and he's all right with that," she deadpanned.

"_Nobody is going to die today, Asami. Everyone up here knows that. Just fire the cannon and show everyone just how amazing I already know you are. Don't think of this as a weapons test. Think of it like a fancy light show!"_

Asami smiled, but only a little. "Okay, but just in case-"

"_Nope."_

"Korra, I-"

"_Can't hear you, turning off the radio-"_

"Korra? Korra. Korra!" Asami frowned and tossed the radio back to Artana. She looked between Varrick and Zhu Li. "Everyone ready?"

Varrick raised a brow. "We've been standing here like idiots for ten minutes. Of course we're ready! Come on! Let's show them the biggest, flashiest, most amazing light show they've ever seen!" He laughed and pumped his fist. "We're gonna burn it right into the back of their eyeballs!"

Artana snickered. "I share most of his sentiment."

Zhu Li smiled and nodded.

Bolin gave her two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Asami swallowed and looked out toward the pillar in the center of the clearing. "Okay, here we go. Firing in three, two, one…" She pulled the firing control lever and the cannon spun to life.

She held her breath.

Purple light flickered in the barrel and shot out in a tight beam. It made it halfway to the pillar before the energy exploded in a brilliant flash of light, freezing it in place. Slowly and steadily, the spirit energy swirled around the crackling pillar. It spun faster and faster until it vanished completely.

The pillar shot out a green signal flare.

Asami exhaled into a big, stupid grin. The world no longer had to live in constant fear of spirit weapons. Except for the one she was using, of course. Thankfully, Asami had planned for that too. The best part was that only three people knew about it.

Korra landed right beside her and collapsed her glider. "We've got maybe a minute before Raiko figures this out." She tossed it to Asami and methodically bent the spirit cannon into a condensed metal block.

Bolin cracked his knuckles and neck. He enclosed the metal block in a cube of earth and sank it into the ground. Then, with a series of gestures she still wasn't quite familiar with, turned the earth into lava. The molten rock flowed in time with his hands and then solidified into harmless, worthless black stone. "Aaaaaaand done."

Varrick high-fived Bolin. "Lavatime! Haha!"

"Heh. Yeah."

Artana sighed. "I spent a week on that, and you just melted it in all of thirty seconds."

Bolin frowned. "Sorry."

Varrick slung his arm around her shoulders. "Well, then do I have good news for you! The day isn't even close to being over, because tonight-TONIGHT!" He snapped his fingers at Asami. "We've got ourselves a party thrown by the United Republic's most stylish industrialist."

Asami narrowed her eyes. "What party? I'm not throwing a party."

"You're not?" asked Bolin.

Korra scratched the back of her head. "I was also told that there would be a party. So were my cousins, my dad, Raiko, the Fire Lord..."

Asami smacked her forehead. "Varrick. Why did you tell them I was going to throw a party after this?"

"You can't be serious." Varrick stared at her incredulously. "The better question is why wouldn't you throw the biggest, most extravagant and loudest party in history?! We just saved the world! Not celebrating that would be just as bad as failure!"

"No, it wouldn't."

"Well, too bad! I already planned and organized it as a surprise, specifically for you! "

Asami pinched her brow. They hadn't even saved the world. Not really. "All right. Where is it being held?"

"Your place. Where else would it be?"

Asami massaged her temples. "Okay. Wow."

Korra frowned. "Varrick, you have to fix this."

"He can't," sighed Asami. "Cancelling this kind of thing last minute would make it seem like I'm hiding something, specifically that the defense system doesn't actually work. Which it does."

"If I were you, I'd simply post a bouncer outside of your estate with a list of who is allowed to attend," said Artana. "Treating your home like an exclusive jazz club may make the night that much easier. And I think it'd be nice to celebrate what we've accomplished. It's not everyday that we can say we made the world a safer place."

Asami slowly nodded. "That's true. We should be celebrating a little. We've accomplished the impossible, and…" She smiled. "I do like the idea of my home being a trendy nightclub, if only for an evening."

Korra smirked. "It does sound pretty fun, doesn't it?"

"Mhmm. The only problem is that, while I can kick the press out, I'll still have to entertain Raiko."

Zhu Li smiled softly. "No, you don't. He's quite easy to drink under the table."

"How do you know that?"

Varrick waved his hands dismissively. "Don't ask! I've just learned to accept that Zhu Li knows things that are completely impossible to know-"

"Iknik and I were attending a gala with him several years ago. It was the first time he'd had...traditional water tribe alcohol."

Korra and Bolin exchange a look and broke out into loud, boisterous belly laughter.

* * *

><p>"...and furthermore, those spirit vines you've been using for research are United Republic property! You cannot simply destroy samples of them whenever you want, and that includes prototype weaponry that, by extension, belongs to the government," ranted Raiko.<p>

Asami frowned. Of course he and his seemingly innumerable followers had been the first to arrive. Hadn't he ever heard of being fashionably late?

She had tried to salvage the evening in order to make it a fun and celebratory get together between close friends and family, but no. No, of course Raiko had to turn it into a political function. Asami didn't have the slightest clue as to how he'd managed to summon the entirety of Republic City's political and business scene to her home with less than a day's notice, but somehow he'd done it.

For a politician, the man could be very petty.

Asami took a 'polite' sip of her drink. She'd started out with red wine, just to take the edge off, but once her front door had been flooded with people whom she'd spoken to less than her own shoes, she switched to liquor. Good liquor. Delicious, smooth liquor that wouldn't stain her dress like the wine would.

They were both red, but different shades of red, so...it'd still stain. What was Raiko talking about?

"Mister President," she cleared her throat. "I don't care. Fine me. Send me a bill. I really just don't care."

"It's far more serious than that, Miss Sato. If I wanted to, I could have you charged for treason."

"Really." Asami narrowed her eyes. "You're well aware that would be political suicide. By attacking me, you're attacking one the single largest and philanthropic conglomerates in the world, as well as the Avatar, and by extension the entire Air Nation." She downed the rest of her drink. "Here's a thought. Maybe instead of berating me for not being your pretty little puppet, you could ask Future Industries for assistance in addressing the rather enormous mass of refugees just outside the city limits?"

Raiko frowned. "The war isn't over. What needs to happen for me to convince you of that?"

"An actual war might help."

"Asami! Hey! Hey, hey! How's my favorite super lady doing?" said Wu as he hugged her in a way that was way too friendly to be described as appropriate. The second he wasn't 'Interim Regent' of the Earth-Something, she was going to smack him across the face so hard his great aunt would feel it from beyond the grave. "Could I borrow the illustrious President Raiko from you for several hours? Thaaaaaaaaaank you!"

And then Wu dragged a very infuriated Raiko away from her and over somewhere else. Oh. Perhaps she should send him something nice as a thank you. Wine. Bottle of wine. Everyone loved a good bottle of wine.

"I told him that he could ride Naga if he got Raiko out of your hair for the rest of the night," said Korra, slipping her arm around her waist. The blue dress she'd helped her pick out was...a lot of dangerously enticing words. Asami wasn't quite so eloquent at the moment, so she decided on drop dead gorgeous and-why can't the stupid party be over so she could properly admire it.

Her. Whichever.

"You are a shrewd and beautiful negotiator."

"I am both of those things, yes," said Korra. "Joke's on him, though. Naga is very particular."

"He's going to wet himself all over her saddle."

"Good thing I'm a waterbender. So, are you done meeting and greeting all of the important people yet?"

"Everyone except for your dad and the Fire Lord."

"Perfect. Oh, and look at that, you need another drink. Up for a real one this time?"

"Mhmm." Asami raised a brow at the growing number of people flooding into her estate. The yards, all of them, were filled to capacity, and she was pretty sure that her sitting room and library were occupied too. The kitchen, oh my, the kitchen was...she wasn't going back in there. It was insanity. "Wait, how much more real does it get than whiskey-" Her eyes widened and she slowly grinned. "No way. You found some?" she whispered.

"You bet your perfect butt I did!" Korra giggled and nuzzled her cheek. "Which I may have sampled. Maybe."

"Maybe, huh?" she said coyly.

"I can maybe tell you that my dad is really, really, really good at brewing it."

"Your dad made it? How did he know I was throwing a party against my will?"

Korra wrinkled her nose. "You're not the only one who has trouble getting through one conversation with Raiko, you know. Well, that, and it's almost impossible to find this far away from the Water Tribes. If it's not filtered through a glacier, it's not authentic."

"It makes way too much sense that your breath smells like diesel right now."

Korra wiggled her eyebrows. A lot. Cruel. Cruel, cruel, cruel.

Asami bit her lower lip. "Stop that."

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, no."

"Where's everyone else hiding out?"

"Sitting room. Bolin and Opal started making out and everyone else just left."

Asami laughed. "That's fantastic. Shall we depart, then?"

Korra smiled. "We shall."

* * *

><p>Kuvira was very tired of Raiko's manipulative antics.<p>

Forcing her, by executive decree, to attend Ms. Sato's impromptu celebration would only cause unnecessary distress and animosity between herself and everyone close to her. As if everything wasn't bad enough, she just couldn't shake the feeling that the estate itself was glaring at her.

The fact that Raiko hadn't provided her with her typical escorts was also very odd and disconcerting. Were they starting to trust her? Was he testing her? She wasn't going to run. Even if she had somewhere to go, she wouldn't. Her job wasn't done.

Her simple United Forces dress uniform, despite her not actually being a part of it, was all she had in terms of formal wear. It was, after all, provided for her by one of Raiko's aides. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but red was not her color.

She'd entered through the front door, past the security VarriMechs, thankfully out of Ms. Sato's field of view for the moment, and immediately made herself scarce by staying right next to the open bar. Ms. Sato would have no need to go there, she hoped.

However, something in her gut told her that it was good fortune that she'd been dragged there that night, of all nights. It was a sense of inevitable dread, though if she were being honest, she did often get philosophically introspective when drinking, so it could've simply been that.

But she seriously doubted it.

Kuvira looked up from her drink and surveyed the ever growing crowd. Something was off.

She recognized too many of those people. While she had been become reasonably acquainted with many of the world's diplomats and foreign dignitaries in the past three years, they didn't number quite that many. There were hundreds in attendance, and Kuvira knew she'd seen the faces of nearly two-thirds of them. Not just in passing, but multiple times.

And then she noticed how they were wading through the crowd. They were searching for someone. Searching for…

Her.

Kuvira's heart dropped into her stomach. They were all going to die because she'd gotten them too riled up. Too fanatical. That is, unless she was able to get to Korra first. If she explained the situation there was a chance they could convince them to stand down and surrender. A slim chance, but a chance all the same.

Finding Korra without drawing attention to herself, however, was going to prove quite the challenge. The Sato estate was enormous. But she couldn't fail. Not with so many of her people's lives on the line.

* * *

><p>Asami Sato did not get plastered. She did not get jazzed, corked, or drunk. She did, however, learn very quickly that Southern Water Tribe mash liquor was about as strong as alcohol could possibly get.<p>

And that it really wasn't the time for a party. Everyone was relaxed, sure, and that was indeed a blessing, but they hadn't really...won yet. There wasn't enough to celebrate, and they all seemed to feel it.

Varrick leaned over the couch and rested his head between Korra and Asami. "Okay. I'll be the first to admit that I might have gotten a little too excited with this whole 'saving the world' thing. But do we have to mope around?! Come on! It's a party!"

Asami stuck out her tongue. "We're not moping! I'm not moping. Korra, are you moping?"

Korra chuckled and moved Varrick's head so she could lie down in her lap. "Nope. I'm actually super happy right now."

Varrick raised a brow. "You don't look happy. You look sleepy."

"I've achieved inner peace," she said haughtily.

Mako snickered. "Really? You want to try lightningbending again?"

"No. Shut up."

"It'll just blow up in your face if you're lyinggggggggg."

Korra threw a pillow at him and pouted. "That happened one time. One time."

Asami ran her fingers through Korra's hair, playing with it. "You are the cutest drunk."

"Not drunk."

"Oh, so you're just imbalanced?" teased Opal.

"Yea-No. Nope. Nice try!"

"Guys. You guys." Bolin looked up from his commandeered tray of appetizers. "I just had the best idea."

Opal shook him lightly and grinned. "What? What is it?"

"We should start a band!"

"A band?"

"Yeah! A band!"

Korra snorted into a laugh. "What? Why would we start a band?"

"Hm, I'm not sure, let me think about that for a second-because it'd be awesome!"

Mako snatched a skewer of meat off of his brother's tray. "You can't play an instrument."

"So? I've got charisma and stage presence, and the rest of you can learn fast, so that's taken care of. Oh, and Asami would be the lead singer, so we don't even need to be talented."

Asami bit her knuckles as she laughed. "No! No, oh, you don't want that. I'm even worse than my mother!"

Bolin groaned and collapsed further into the other couch. "Finnnnnnne, okay, no bands. Even though 'Asami and the Fire Ferrets-"

Opal raised a brow. "So, would that make me a Fire Ferret?"

"Okay, okay, Opal and the Fire Fe-"

Asami cleared her throat.

Bolin rolled his eyes. "Opal and the Future Industries Fire Ferrets would be-"

Varrick waved his arms around frantically. "Forgetting somebody?! Specifically me?! And Zhu Li?!"

Zhu Li chuckled.

Bolin huffed and smacked his cheeks a few times. "ALL RIGHT! Opal and the Future Industries Fire Ferrets, _sponsored _by Varrick Industries International! Okay?! Are we all okay with our imaginary band name now?!"

Asami shrugged. "Not really. Why would our band have two sponsor companies that are in direct competition with one another? It doesn't make any sense, especially since I'd be a part of the band in the first place."

Bolin buried his head in his hands. "I give up. I don't want to make a band anymore."

* * *

><p>Artana whistled as she washed her hands in the ladie's powder room. Perhaps she'd spoken too soon about celebrating, as Raiko had ruined any hope of the evening turning into anything resembling that. Exclusive club? Hardly. All of his insufferable cronies and...well, she didn't know them personally, but Asami had complained about them enough for her to get the general idea of their...mental climate.<p>

To put it kindly.

At the very least, though, she'd gotten the chance to become more familiar with the Sato estate, which was absolutely gorgeous, and far more practical than the Palace of Ba Sing Se ever was. It had to be. Asami had over forty people, none of whom were blood related to her, living on the grounds.

Such altruism from a woman in her position was rare, in Artana's experience.

She idly wondered if there were any secret passageways. That would be fun.

The door opened behind her and Artana raised a brow as she saw a familiar woman's face reflect in the mirror. Odd. "Occupied…" Artana turned around and narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Shu?"

"Sorry!" The woman's eyes lit up. "Artana? Oh! I didn't expect to see you here."

"I could say the same about you," she said, drying her hands.

Shu shrugged. "Well, it was bound to happen eventually. There aren't many people in our line of work as there used to be, after all."

"I suppose that's true." Artana blinked. "How did you know there was a bathroom up here? There are public ones outside for the party."

"I didn't feel like waiting in line, Artana. And you're one to talk, since you're also here."

Artana wrinkled her nose. "...as one of the key engineers of the Unity Defense Grid. I've been working quite closely with Asami, and I don't think she would appreciate you using her private bathroom."

Shu studied her closely for a moment. "You've certainly made yourself at home here, haven't you?"

Artana chuckled. "Of course. I've got full citizenship. Why, has the paperwork not gone through for you, yet? If that's an issue, I can see about getting it expedited. For old time's sake. Asami has a surprising amount of influence in the United Republic. More than I could have predicted."

"What? No, we're all here on temporary papers. You're fully integrated, I take it?"

Artana narrowed her eyes. 'We?' Temporary papers? The borders were closed. They had been for months. "I've been here for months, Shu. It wasn't so difficult."

Shu cleared her throat and scratched the back of her head. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I thought we were here for the same reason."

Artana gripped the hand towel just a little tighter. "So did I. You know, I wish I'd known ahead of time that you would all be in town. It would've been nice to have dinner with old friends."

"Well, you know how these things go. Move fast, or don't move at all."

There it was. Assumptions. Misplaced trust. Amateur.

Artana snapped the towel into Shu's eyes, causing her to stumble backward. She kicked her into the wall, cracking the wallpaper. Artana twisted her fingers with one hand, locking the door, and used the other to bind Shu to the wall with the room's fixtures. "Why are you here, and who else is with you?"

Shu coughed and looked at her incredulously. "You-You defected?!"

Artana scoffed. "After all the blood, sweat and tears I put into the Earth Empire? Are you insane? I'm not about to write off the most productive three years of my life simply because Kuvira surrendered."

Shu considered her for a moment. "...then why did you just kick me into the wall? And the thing about true patience?"

"This isn't a short term goal for me, Shu. It's the long game. I can't afford a single misstep."

"Oh. I was not briefed on this."

Artana tilted her head. "General Yao is still the fool, I take it. He's fully aware of what job I'd taken while-nevermind that, what are you doing here? I didn't even know about this party until today."

"Neither did we, but we've been tracking the Great Uniter's movements ever since she was 'pardoned'. She follows a strict pattern, though it doesn't seem like she's doing so willingly." Her eyes lit up with excitement. "She's here tonight, and with the crowds as large as they are, it's the best time to extract her."

Artana's brows vanished into her hairline. "She's here? Why? That's…" And then it clicked. "Oh. She's bait. Clever."

"Bait? For who?"

"For you. I never said I didn't defect." Artana punched her in the throat, collapsing her windpipe.

Shu choked, struggled to breath, and collapsed entirely. It wouldn't take long for the rest of her body to fail.

"You never did learn the meaning of true patience."

Artana scowled. She should have seen that coming. Raiko using Kuvira as bait to lure out loyalists. But for what purpose? How had they managed to cross the border unassisted?

And most importantly: Why was that particular loyalist faction unaccounted for?

She could answer those questions later. For the time being only one thing was important.

Protecting Kuvira.

* * *

><p>Kuvira walked briskly down one of the many, many halls of the Sato estate. She was keenly aware that she was being tailed by three expert metalbenders, so time, and luck, were of the essence.<p>

Neither had been on her side for a very long time.

They wouldn't attack her, she knew that, but she had the sinking feeling that making contact with them would be bad for everyone involved. They'd been riled up into a frenzy if they thought 'rescuing' her was a rational plan.

Kuvira kept her ears open, waiting and listening for a sign, something, anything, of Korra and her friends.

"...well, then we'll find a window, and I'll show you how much inner peace I have! How about that?!" barked Korra as she threw open a large doorway a few feet in front of her.

"Korra! Calm down, it's just a joke!" yelled Mako from within the room.

"Yeah, well your jokes have a bad habit of pissing me off! Is knowing how to strike every nerve part of being a detective or something? Because if it is, I can see why you're so great at it!"

"It sort of is, actually."

"Ugh! That's just-" Her eyes narrowed as she finally noticed Kuvira. "What are _you _doing here?"

Kuvira ran up to her. "Fanatical loyalists have infiltrated the estate. They're most likely trying to extract me, by force if necessary. I need help. Please."

Korra's eyes widened and violently yanked her inside of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. "Okay! Party just got interestingggggg! Everybody hear that, or does the 'Great Uniter' have to repeat it?"

Kuvira frowned. "How much have you had to drink?"

Opal hummed. "Collectively, or individually?"

"Both."

Bolin clapped his hands together. "Too much! Also, not enough!"

"I can't believe this." Asami rose from the couch and growled. "Another home invasion?! Well, that's just fantastic! You know what I'm doing tomorrow?! I'm going to electrify my floors! And booby-trap everything!"

Korra snickered.

"Focus, Korra."

"Right, sorry."

Mako slapped his cheeks a few times. "Okay, okay, okay. How many of them are there?"

Kuvira winced. "I'm not sure. If I had to guess...fifty."

Asami's eyes twitched. "Fifty." She marched over and punched her square in the mouth. "This is my home! You brought terrorists into my home! How is it possible that, even after we've beaten you, you're still screwing things up for us?!"

Kuvira stumbled backward and caught herself on the wall. She rubbed her throbbing jaw and bowed her head. She could have broken it if she'd wanted to, and Kuvira was having trouble thinking of a reason as to why she wouldn't. "I-"

"It's not her," said Artana, slipping into the sitting room and shutting the door behind her. "It's Raiko. He's been using her as bait to get her loyalists to come out of hiding and make a play for her. There's no other explanation for them being here tonight, since the party was impromptu. Unless the organizer leaked information."

Korra stared blankly at Artana. "How can you possibly know that?"

"I didn't study _just _engineering. I have a degree in Political Science from Ba Sing Se University, as well."

"It's true. She does," said Kuvira and Asami, in unison.

Asami frowned and slapped Kuvira.

"Stop that!" Kuvira scowled. "You have every right to hate me, but that doesn't mean-"

"SHUT UP!" yelled everyone.

So she did.

"Korra pinched her brow. "All right. So, we've got around fifty metalbenders."

Artana cleared her throat. "It should be closer to forty-six, actually."

Korra gave her a small nod. "Okay, forty-six. And they're hiding. Can't you just ask them to stand down, Kuvira?"

"I was going to attempt that yes. However, I think it might be more effective if you were there beside me. You still hold political clout in the former Empire, as you are the Avatar."

"Makes sense-"

The sitting room doors exploded inwards and smashed into the back wall. A VarriMech, without Empire markings, had punched them open. Everyone dove behind the furniture narrowly avoiding the electrified net it shot out of its arm.

Asami slammed her palm against the floor. "Varrick! How do we beat these things-"

"An-"

"Without using an electromagnetic pulse! I am _not_ rewiring my entire house!"

"Fine! Fine, fine, fine." Varrick rolled his eyes. "There's an emergency shutdown button behind one of the back panels! If you hit that, the power plant will shut off temporarily!"

Kuvira clenched her fists. "It's platinum lined. We can't bend it open."

Bolin ripped the sleeves off his suit. Kuvira did not have the time nor patience to question that. "I can maybe melt it open. And the whole thing. I've never tried to lavabend drunk before."

"Too dangerous." Asami drummed her fists into the ground. "But we might be able to cut it open." She snapped her fingers. "Okay, I'm more than a little tipsy, but I'm pretty sure this idea is brilliant. Here's what we're gonna do…"

* * *

><p>Asami charged forward in the VarriMech and leaped off her balcony. She landed in the center of her foyer, knocking a dozen guests off of their feet, and couldn't help but feel an odd sense of deja vu. And nausea. She'd really had too much to drink.<p>

She was surrounded by her guests, all of them in formal wear. It was impossible to tell which of them were the loyalists just from a glance. However, they'd come up with two ways to counter that. The first was to keep using Kuvira as bait to lure them all into one place.

"_Those of you in attendance that claim loyalty to the Great Uniter are urged to listen!" _said Asami, putting on her best 'not-drunk-at-all' business voice. "_For she has words for you! Important words! That you should be listening too...okay, you know what, just look at the top of the stairs."_

In the event that failed, they would just attack all of the combatants that engaged the VarriMech she was piloting. She liked the first idea better. Asami looked around her and spotted Tonraq. She waved the VarriMech's arm, mimicking a waterbending move she'd seen Korra use a thousand times. Tonraq seemed to understand her meaning and nodded, slowly vanishing within the crowd. Hopefully, he was going to find his niece and nephew.

"Loyal subjects of the former Earth Empire!" said Kuvira, her voice booming over the foyer as if she had a microphone. Talk about stage presence. "I truly appreciate the effort, loyalty and resolve you have shown in this endeavor. But I am in no need of rescue. The war is over." She paused folded her hands behind her back. "I surrendered willingly. I am not here under duress, nor have I have been, in my own personal opinion, treated unfairly. Please, for the sake of your lives, I urge you to stand down and surrender yourselves to the United Republic. No one needs to die today."

The crowd was silent for a long, tense moment.

"THE AVATAR BRAINWASHED HER!"

"SHE'S A BLOODBENDER!"

"SAVE THE GREAT UNITER!"

"Wow! Look at all the _political clout _I have, Kuvira! It's allllll over the place!" yelled Korra.

"_Okay, you morons asked for it!" _Asami smacked her head against the inside of the helmet as a flurry of metal strips and rocks began slamming into her. "_Plan B!"_

From the top of the stairs, Mako and Korra shot large fireballs at her curtains, setting them ablaze. The smoke immediately set the fire control system off, and water rained down from the ceiling. Little by little, the combatants were frozen in place by streams of water coming from every direction.

Korra, Tonraq, Eska and Desna were doing a bang up job. Probably even better than a giant magnet, if she had one. Well, one that was assembled. And not in the sub-basement.

Opal and Tenzin kept the loyalists from grounding themselves, while Bolin, Mako, Artana and Kuvira were focused on suppressing them. Kuvira managed to pin a few to the walls and floors with metalbent cuffs, but since they were fighting metalbenders it only slowed them down. Artana, on the other hand, seemed to be using their own metal against them, but with similar success.

But then something happened that Asami hadn't foreseen.

They ran out of water.

The remaining loyalists continued to tear apart her home, destroying her marble floors _again, _and she launched net after net, capturing those she could, but the fight wasn't going to end anytime soon. She was going to run out of nets, and they were going to resort to taking hostages, since not all of her guests had managed to flee quite yet-

"Eska!" yelled Tonraq.

One of the loyalists, a large man with a full beard, held Eska at knifepoint and dragged her into the center of room. Eska, to her credit, did not seem phased by it at all. "Okay! See?! Let's trade! Your precious Water Tribe Chief for our Great Uniter!"

"I have been fighting you people for the last twenty minutes!" screamed Kuvira. "And she's _one _of the Chiefs of the _Northern _Water Tribe!"

"We're independent! There's a difference!" yelled Desna, Eska, Tonraq, Varrick and Korra simultaneously.

The loyalist didn't seem to care too much about how politically correct his hostage negotiation was. "What does it matter?! The Avatar is controlling-"

Korra groaned from the top of the stairs. "I can't even do that! That's so stupid! You're so stupid! Eska, how did this even happen?!"

Eska rolled her eyes. "We ran out of water. What was I supposed to do? Scream 'oh no I am being taken hostage, someone rescue me for I am incapable of defending myself'?"

Desna scoffed. "That would have accomplished nothing."

The rest of the loyalists grouped up behind the Eska. All in one place. If only they'd had more water. And didn't have to deal with this hostage situation. How was she supposed to deal with that?

Bolin stomped up to the man who seemed to be in charge, waving around a bottle of liquor. "Stop it! Stop fighting! This was supposed to be a party but _noooooooooooooo_ you had to go and ruin it with your stupid obsession! I was enjoying a nice relaxing time with my friends and family, but now I can't!"

"ONE MORE STEP AND-"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Bolin, right in the man's face. "You're going to listen to me! And listen well, fair dunderheads!" Bolin yanked the man's blade out of his hands and tossed it to the ground. He shoved Eska away and then headbutted the metalbender. "If you metal morons don't surrender in the next two seconds I am going to _MELT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM!_ ONLY LIVING LAVABENDER! COME AT ME! SEE WHAT HAPPENS!"

Asami didn't have a response to that. No one did, as the room fell silent.

"OKAY!" The metalbender screamed and raised his hands above his head. "Okay! Okay, please don't melt us, Nuktuk! Everyone stand down! Damnit, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Before he had a chance to answer, Lin and two squads of RCPD metalbenders came surging through her front door. Their cables swarmed around the loyalists and subdued them.

"Sato!" yelled Lin. "How's that for response time?"

"It's still terrible!"

"Of course it is."

Asami popped her hatch and hopped out of the VarriMech. She tried not to focus too much on the all too familiar sensation of wet broken marble on her bare feet. Her home was torn up again, but unlike the first time, she'd had backup. Well, more than just Mako.

Out of all of the disasters that could have ruined the party, her home transforming into a warzone again wasn't something she'd considered.

Warzone. Asami looked over at a very frustrated Raiko arguing with an equally infuriated Lin.

"_The war isn't over. What needs to happen for me to convince you of that?"_

"_An actual war might help."_

Asami frowned.

"Well. Shit."

* * *

><p><strong>And that's that! The end! Of Part 3! Next up is Part 4: "Faith and Pragmatism". So, just like Chapter 4 was a transition chapter from Part 2 to Part 3, this, hopefully serves the same purpose going into Part 4. Oh, and literally everything is on the table now. Thematically, plot points, character elements, etc. Literally everything has been foreshadowed, alluded to or brought up in some form or fashion. Hooray!<strong>

**I'm curious to know if the 'flash forward' thing worked in this chapter. It's not something I usually do, but BSG-Legacy suggested it help with the flow of the story, and I think it works MUCH better this way. Love to know some thoughts on that.**

**As always, any and all feedback is encouraged and appreciated! No matter how small, rambling, scathing or random your thoughts may be, I wanna hear 'em.**


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